


To The River

by socorrokitty



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-11-04
Updated: 2015-06-07
Packaged: 2018-02-24 01:18:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 46,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2562893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/socorrokitty/pseuds/socorrokitty
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When an eight-year-old Ianto Jones is taken to pay off his family's debt, his world is thrown off kilter. He meets Jack Harkness, the charming son of the adviser for the king of the Realm of Gems, and settles into a life that's very different from his previous life and twice as much fun. As time passes, however, Ianto begins to wonder if he was taken for a purpose that's much bigger then a paid-off debt. The era of peace in the Seven Realms is ending. The monsters are returning. The Eighth Realm is resurfacing. It's up to the chosen Hero to find all eight Tokens of the Realms and end the darkness once and for all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First ever Torchwood fic and brand new to AO3! This is un-beta'd, so any mistakes are all mine! Any and all feedback is appreciated.
> 
> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who.

It was night outside when the yellow flame dimmed in the middle of the stopwatch.

***********

In the heart of The Realm of Gems, King John Smith's eyes shot open and panic shot through his heart. A name left his lips as he breathed out, a hand clutching his heart.

"Saxon."

***********

The King slammed the doors open to the conference room, face grim as he surveyed the council before him. Most were in various stages of undress; some had stumbled right out of bed and into the conference room, some had pulled on robes and slips. All looked extremely irritated at being awoken at this god-forsaken hour, but it was quickly replaced with concern at the grave expression on the King's face.

"John..." The King turned his face slightly towards his wife and advisor, Rose. Her eyes seemed to be asking the one question that sprang to everyone's mind when the King sent his errand boys to round up the council as soon as possible. King John shut his eyes and nodded once. He distantly heard his wife choke, her robes rustling as she turned her back on the council to compose herself.

Turning and opening his eyes to address the council, the King said softly, "The Master has returned." There was not a single gasp. Only silent terror. For one... two... three breathes, no once moved or spoke. For three solid seconds, the room was completely still.Then, softly, from the far end of the table, Franklin Harkness spoke. "The chosen hero. Now is the time to find the chosen hero. You can't hid from this any longer, John."

A smattering of soft murmurs of agreement rose in the room, and if possible, the Kings face became darker. For years now, the council had been urging their King to take the chosen child. To begin the training. To prepare for the Master's return. The King thus far had denied the need to take such action. He was beginning to believe he had no choice.

John chewed on his lip as he thought. He had believed that the Master was too weak to come back this fast. The chosen hero wasn't ready for the training yet. He was still a child; only eight years old. The King did not want to see this child corrupted by the fear or hate of his people. If the council discovered the identity of the chosen hero, John knew in his heart his and the other Realms would betray him and send the child away to the Training Grounds in the Realm of Dragons. They wouldn't settle for any of the other Realms for training. They would pick the harshest and most rigorous of all the training grounds in all of the Realms. The King knew he could never do that to a child, regardless of the prophecy.

John's fingers tightened around the stopwatch in his pocket. He knew the Master was both too weak and too smart to strike anytime soon. They still had a bit of time, even though the monsters would definitely start to get rowdy. He made his decision.

He focused his eyes on the silent council. All held their breath as he sighed softly and shook his head. "It is not time. The chosen hero is still too young." As expected, the council was outraged. Several jumped to their feet, including Franklin, fury scribbled on their faces.

"King John!"

"Please, sir!"

"This is ridiculous, we'll die if he isn't trained soon!"

"Doctor!" All fell silent as Franklin shouted the King's well known nick-name. John's body tensed as he turned his gaze towards his good friend. Franklin walked around the table and stood in front of the King. He put his hands on his shoulders.

"Doctor... We have to act now. You know what will start up soon. Those monsters... We need the chosen hero,Doctor... We need him..." Franklin was pleading with him, the fear for his young son and beautiful wife obvious in his eyes. John gave him a small reassuring smile.

"Trust me, Franklin," he said softly. "The time is not right. It will be a little while longer before the Master will become an issue." He shifted to address the whole council. "Yes, the monster will start to act up, but we've dealt with them before. Yes, I have sensed the Master's presence, but I also sense it is weak." He swept his eyes around the council. "Fifteen years. No more and no less. In fifteen years, the chosen one will be revealed to you all."

Yes. Twenty-three was a good age to train the chosen one. He held up a patient hand when protest began to fall from unhappy lips. "Then, and only then will we train the chosen one. Trust your king, please. All I ask is for you to trust me." John stood with his arms crossed and his chin tilted in a authoritative way. A few heartbeats past, before the council grudgingly accepted the verdict. The King let out a very relieved sigh.

He waved his hand. "Captain Andy, prepare your soldiers for the new enemies. Rhys, send out letters to the other Realms. Let them know they need to start preparing for the end of this era of peace. Franklin, meet me in my room in ten minutes." With those words, the King swept himself out of his room.

The King was not stupid. He knew the chosen hero was not safe from the Master and his monsters no matter how weak he was. John knew what he was going to do will break the chosen hero's heart. He also knew this was what had to be done if he wanted to spare the chosen hero from corruption and certain death. He needed to hide the chosen hero in plain sight.

He opened his bedroom door and sat heavily on the mattress. He ran his hand through his hair furiously. He knew Donna would take good care of the chosen one. He could trust her to keep him safe and loved. He felt awful, but again, it had to be done. He looked up as Franklin politely knocked on the door, before entering without waiting for John to reply. He stood stiffly in front of his king, still mildly ticked off. "You wanted to see me?" He said, his blue eyes flashing with just a hint of annoyance. The King sighed heavily. "How much do you know about the debt of the Jones family...."

*************

_Ianto Jones, 8 years, 6 months, 3 weeks, and two days old_

Ianto was sweeping in his corner. Yes, his corner. This was the corner he used to listen to all the different conversations going on around the downstairs pub. Only a few months in and he already knew how to keep himself entertained as he worked (slacking off would result in a swift beating and a bunch of hollering.... He learned that the hard way.) It was the usual hum... Susan's daughter caught typhoid... Charles, the poor lad, lost a hand trying to stop a run-away mine cart and was slowly dying of infection. Granted, he had not a clue what any of it meant, but it was something besides the broom and the floor... A language he could decipher.

Ianto was eight years old. A lot of boys his age went to work earlier then that, but his mother insisted he wait longer before working. He was special; he needed more time before he could start hauling barrels of whisky around like his older brother, Alwyn, or waiting on tables, like Rhiannon. Ianto's father didn't like her excuses one bit; he said his youngest was frail just because she spoiled him so much. Alwyn threw a fit too, complaining that he was bound to leave them and start working for some other family. He'd say often when arguing with their mother that, 'at least they work equal shares there' and 'kids younger then him would already be working in those mine shafts.' While the latter might have been true, she always argued that their family was more civilized then those monsters sending their babies out to work... And yet, Ianto knew most of them had no choice.

His family was a lucky one. They had set up shop here in the city before the king had even decided to move his capital to their quaint little town. For generations on Ianto's father's side, the Jones family had been running the Crisial Inn, and while it might have had its rough patches in the past, it was over and done with now. Or so they thought. His father always told them that the business had blossomed under the castle's change of locations; their Inn was brimming with families that couldn't afford to build their own houses, but had stormed to the city to perhaps catch a glimpse of what their Realm was known for...

There were eight Realms that made up the world's inhabitable lands, each fixed precisely where they are best suited to function. His Realm was situated right on top of a jackpot of precious gems of all shapes and colors and sizes. Each gem was special, each one had a slightly different job; there were several for decoration, like the traditional sapphire and ruby gems. Others, however, had the ability to enhance the qualities of the wearer. Some, like the tokwa gem, even gave the wearer powers. Those were rare though, and only the most wealthy of nobles had enough money to buy them.

Of course, in order to acquire those gems and fix them up to sell, you needed hands.... lots and lots of hands. Ianto had always lived pretty far away from the 'heart' of the Realm, where most of the gems and goods would be located, but as the resources there became more scarce, the heart 'migrated.' It was tradition for the king and his family to get up and move to a place with the most gems left. Little did the residents of this traditional Welsh village know they were sitting right on top of a huge underground network of expensive gems. Ianto's village would've never known that; no one there dares to try and open up a mine shaft and the area hadn't been scanned for deposits since the Lands were split into eight Realms. It was now illegal to scan potential mining areas for business without the government approving the act. Not that any of them would if they had the chance. If possible, it would be much better for someone to work in a business like is family... running an inn and pub. Everyone in their little village had something besides mining to do... Until the king moved here, and as a direct effect, all of those people.

Those people were simply looking for work. They needed money to pay bills, to feed families; Ianto knew that. Despite his eight-year-old (lack of) knowledge of economic issues, he was still disgruntled about the increase in prices of lots and lighting for house. The average adult male now could only acquire enough money to light up a single room in a house they owned, where before tit was plenty to light the whole house and then some. That being said, every single person in a family would have to work outside the home, even the children. It was an awful kind of work, but some families thought it was best to work that way. Ianto often heard his parents arguing about sending all three of their children out to work. He never really understood what the issue was, not at his young age.

Not only poorer folk came to their growing town, however, when the king moved. Nobles came as well; several of them owned mine shafts, and essentially, the people that worked for them. They always looked down on the lower class.

Ianto loved to look out the window and stare at the fancy looking carriages that were tugged along by gorgeous huge horses of all kinds of colors. Since he was watching the hustle and bustle separately, however, he also saw the way the people in the carriages looked at the families dragging their feet in the street. They were disgusted and and it made him feel uneasy just looking at their snide faces. Ianto vowed he would never work and serve people like that.

But, because the times had changed, and Alwyn and father were practically drowning in work, Ianto was thrown into the family business head first. The day he turned eight, his mother couldn't shelter him anymore. It was time he learned what it meant to be a boy, a boy that was one day going to be a man. He swept the floors at first (he was too short to actually clean or serve any table and he was still to weak to toss those barrels around) So he swept and cleaned dishes.

That particular day, though, as he swept in his corner, something happened that caused the crowds usual hum of the pub to lessen some... Something had caused them to hush one another and twist in their seats. Something had disturbed this nest of drunken gossipers, turning their attention away from their brain numbing escapes at the bottom of their glasses. Ianto's little eight-and-a-half year old brain couldn't understand the fuss; the hurried, hushed whispers, the nudging and fidgeting. He was baffled, and his hands hesitated with the broom... The consistent scratching seemed out of place in the quite tense ambience that had taken over the shop.

'What's going on,' he wondered to himself, unsettled by the atmosphere. 'Are there monsters outside?'

Everything seemed almost normal though. There was the same click of hooves on the roads accompanied softly by the wheels crunching on the asphalt as a little carriage was tugged along. Even as Ianto heard the carriage stop outside, nothing appeared out of sorts. He was startled by the bell that went off whenever the door was opened. He knew it was improper to stare, but a low murmur rippled through the place, and soon after it, the sound of bodies shifting to turn around as not to be rude. Ianto was just too curious to ignore all the surreptitious glancing and muttering. He snuck a glance towards the people who had just walked in. Ianto then knew what had caused such a stir in the pub.

The family that walked in was not one he had seen before. In any other circumstance, Ianto wouldn't have been puzzled; new people came to the inn most everyday to pick up orders made by family members and such. There was just something about this family that seemed... Different.They oozed superiority and importance (Ianto noticed their issue with keeping their noses in the air right off the bat) They stood looking down at the other patrons of the bar, all three of them, a mother, a father, and a son, all crisp and clean, looking as if they had just got back from a funeral. Ianto knew this was silly, for no one in town had died recently (he didn't think it counted if they were on the brink of death)

Ianto figured those folk were probably mine owners... The really rich kind. He didn't think anyone this important and rich had ever stepped foot in their place. Each family member had an extremely rare looking gem worn around their necks; each were wonderful looking. I recognized one: the amertis. The amertis was the gem for grace and charm. It was laying neatly under the mother's throat, shinning its dark purple. Ianto didn't think he'd ever see a gem so rare and beautiful with his own eyes.

"Wow... Mine owners in our pub," he whispered to himself in awe. Despite his curiosity, however, he couldn't help but wish they had never come in. Their snide faces matched those who believed they were supreme. He didn't like at all.

This silence seemed to be stretching forever. Every action had ceased in the wake of these beautiful people with their beautiful gems. Ianto was as startled as some of the patrons when his mother suddenly realized her place and the opportunity for business, scuttling out from around the counter bustling over to the rich people, carrying her menu in her hand and speaking loudly.

"Oh my! Look at my manners! I'm so terribly sorry! Welcome to the Crisial Inn..." The rest faded out for Ianto, he had heard it so many times. He focused instead on the family. Ianto took in how cold and calculating father looked; he could tell the noble wasn't in the mood to listen to what kind of rooms were discounted for today.

The mother looked bored. 'She feels she has something better to do then be here,' Ianto thought, a tad bit disgruntled. They shouldn't be here if they didn't want to be! His little body leant against his broom as he finally laid eyes on the son.

He was throughly startled. The boy already had his eyes focused on him, the feeling of being watched sending heat straight to his cheeks. Even though Ianto had already caught this boy staring, all he did was smile slightly. It was more like a smirk, a very self satisfied smirk that only widened when Ianto glared at him from across the pub. He felt mocked. Had that boy no manners! To stare at him like that, as if calculating him and deeming him useless or foolish. Ianto felt like writing him off too. He wanted to turn his back and stew as children do over silly things like this. But something stopped Ianto. His eyes. They were so very different from the eyes of most of the wealthy.

The boy's eyes were bright and full of adventure and mischief. It was then Ianto realized just how young the boy was. He had to be Ianto's age at the youngest, probably a year or so older in fact. Just the way he was dressed... it had certainly led him to believe the young noble was a lot older then eight or even ten! His posture also seemed more mature; he stood as if he were programed to stand a that way. He stood like the rest of his family, with the same expression gracing his face. His eyes spoiled the facade. Ianto was confused by the emotions flickering in his bright blue eyes. The noble almost seemed to be gazing at Ianto as if he wished he was in his place.

The two boys of completely different backgrounds and lives stared each other down, sizing each other up. Ianto no longer felt bitterness and childish fury towards the brash kid, just pure curiosity. The corner of the young noble's mouth twitched upwards, and his eyes sparkled more clearly with mirth. Ianto was captivated.

The spell was broken when his family began to move towards a table. Ianto quickly looked away, his cheeks holding only a small smudge of color. This seemed to be like a signal to everyone else inside the shop. Everyone started relaxing and the hum picked up. Ianto noticed only the ones furthest from the noble's table were speculating the reasons as to why this rich family would be here, while the ones closer to their table picked up topics that were floating around before the family bursted into the room.

Ianto was willing to risk his backside to learn more about the family and the boy with the crystal eyes. He made his way around the room to the corner closest to them. By the time Ianto had slowly made it there, the cold father was already asking for Ianto's father to come have a seat with them. Ianto was even more confused now. Surely they would've called ahead if they wanted to have a meeting? He decided to continue his sweeping instead of stopping to listen closer. He figured the grown-ups would pay no mind to him if he pretended to be busy.

He carefully picked their voices out of the buzz of activity. The first person who spoke was the rich man. "Mr. Jones, what a pleasure to meet you..." he said in a soft sharp drawl. Ianto could practically feel his father tense up as he sat straighter in his seat and lower his chin.

"Why are you here, Franklin..." Ianto could hear the low threatening tone in his voice as he spoke. It sent a shiver of fear down his spine. His father was obviously upset and slightly afraid, and that terrified tiny Ianto more than anything. The rich man shifted in his seat, leaning forward to get closer to his father's face.

"You know exactly why I'm here, Mr. Jones, and i'd appreciate it if you called me Mr. Harkness. You were always such a rude bastard..." Mr. Harkness added, his words sharp and cold. At this, Mrs. Harkness turned to take her sons hand, leading him up to the counter and away from the escalating argument. Ianto glanced up briefly and felt the heat rush back to his face when he caught the son's gaze again. His eyes shot down to the floor and he instead tried to focus on the words flowing between the older men instead of the cool eyes of the noble's son. The two were becoming less and less like professional partners as the conversation went on. Ianto's ears pricked up as Mr. Harkness continued.

"And here I've been such a kind man... I've given you plenty of opportunities to dig yourself out of debt, and yet, here we are again." Mr. Harkness sat back again as it was Mr. Jones's turn to leaned forward. "

You know i will not pay those bloody taxes... they aren't fair! A tax because we lived here before the king, a tax because we don't work in the mines... what's next!? A tax because we got up on the left side of the bed instead of the right? I refuse to pay any extra then what I did before!" Ianto's father was raging as quietly as possible, the anger thickening his accent. Ianto felt like this was exactly what Mr. Harkness wanted his father to say, for he stood with a small victorious smirk. Ianto's gut was steadily sinking towards his feet.

"Then it's decided. Since you refuse to pay the taxes, the land grant for the Jones family will be renounced and you will be tossed on the streets." Ianto's head around violently, all pretenses of working gone. No way this was happening to them. Mr. Jones suddenly stood too. He had been trying to keep things quiet until this point.

"You... you can't do that! This is bloody stupid! How dare you! You.... you won't do that!" His father bellowed, his face red and his eyes shining angrily. The pub was dead silent again. Ianto looked towards the counter and his little heart filled with fury at the content look on both the mother and son's rich faces. His little fists tightened on his broom.

Mr. Harkness turned slowly to face Tad. His lips turned up in a cruel, cold smile. "Mr. Jones... i know you arent a bad man, so let's make a deal. I'll let you and your family live here without paying those extra taxes, but," he paused, watching Mr. Jones's grim face grow darker, "only if I can take your youngest son. The kitchen maids need a man's touch for once." The pub was silent. Ianto was stunned.

'Me... It's... It's..... It's me,' he thought, his little brain whirling fast. No way could his father give him away... He wouldn't... Ianto was scared to admit he wasn't all that sure that was the truth. He watched his father intensely. Mr. Jones's face was pale and his eyes looked dull. He flickered his eyes towards Ianto, and his face twisted with pain. He turned back to Mr. Harkness after a moment.

"D-deal... you can take my youngest son. His name is Ianto... he may not look like much, but I'm sure he can help clean up," Tad whispered. Ianto felt the blood drain from his face and tears began welling up in his little eyes. His mother burst out of the kitchen, breaking the tense silence with her wails.

"You cant, Gareth, you cant do this!" she screamed, grabbing his arm. "That's our baby! That's our baby!" Ianto had never seen his mom in such distress before; it tugged at his heart and it made it harder for Ianto to keep it together like his father said real men did. He wasn't really sure what was going on, but he had the gist of it; he was being carted away.Someone grabbed his shoulder firmly, and Ianto looked up, startled at who he saw. Mr. Harkness.

"Go pack your bags, son, we're taking you home." His voice had softened slightly, but he still nudged Ianto gruffly when he didn't move. He suddenly jolted forward, to his room, as if in a dream. Ianto couldn't believe this was happening.

It was Rhiannon who helped him pack my things. Her beautiful face was pale and her eyes were sparkling with tears. "This'll be good for all of us, Ianto... I here they take good care of servants... you'll have raspberry jam on toast everyday, for each meal," she said to her youngest brother, her hands and arms flying as she piled everything he could fit into this tiny bag for him. "You'll sleep in a bed, you wont have to share one with Alwyn, I know how loud he snores... Oh! And i bet the place will be full of nooks and crannies to..." She trailed off at the look her brother was giving her.

"Rhi... I'm... I'm scared... I'm so scared," he whimpered softly, tears welling up in his eyes again. He rubbed the wetness away with two balled up fists. He wasn't strong enough not to cry. He didn't want to leave his family; Ianto loved his family, despite their debt and other money issues. Rhiannon looked surprised, as if she had just been struck in the face. Then, suddenly, she crouched down and pulled her younger brother into her arms. She cradled Ianto like the child he was. He buried his face in her long soft hair and wept. He wished she could hold him like this forever. Here it was safe and familiar.

"It'll be okay, Yan... I promise..."

Almost as soon as these words were uttered, Mr. Harkness was calling down the hall again, his tone sharp like before. Rhiannon pulled away and Alwyn appeared in the doorway. He strode over to Ianto and kissed his head. He refused to utter a single word. Instead, he clapped Ianto's shoulder, his mouth a thin line. The brothers both sort of nodded to each other, a manly code, Ianto thought. Just like that, the trio started down the hallway.

When they entered the pub, it was quiet. Their parents had quickly emptied the pub when they realized what was going to happen. Ianto's mam was glaring at his tad, who couldnt bare to look anyone in the eyes. Ianto's mother caught sight of him and ran towards him, her red puffy face twisting up again as she pulled her son into her arms and hugged him tightly. She cried softly, mumbling something into his neck, something Ianto couldn't make out because her arms were so tight around him. Ianto decided he didn't care. He just didn't want to leave. Suddenly she pulled back, her eyes as clear as she could make them.

"N-now you be a good little boy, mind your manners... treat Mr. and Mrs. Harkness nicely and stay clean... I want you to make us Joneses proud... my little Ianto..." her hand stroked his cheek, before they bot heard Mr. Harkness cough rudely. Ianto's mam stood, her face murderous, but it quickly cleared as she stepped aside. His father said not a word... he just stared at the floor. Ianto wanted to say goodbye. He wanted to hold his tad, tell him he loved him so much and wanted to stay, but Mr. Harkness was ready to leave. Ianto knew he had to get into a habit of anticipating his new family's needs.

"Thank you, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, for being so civil and understanding. We will take good care of him. Now, carry on with your business." He turned on his heel to face Ianto. "Come along, Ianto," Mr. Harkness said quickly, exiting after his wife and son, both who had been impatiently hovering by the door. Ianto took one look behind him, at the place he had spent his eight and a half years of living, before following the tail of Mr. Harkness's fancy coat out of the pub.

As the door swung shut, Ianto heard his father begin to cry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would really love to hear what you have to think of it! Depending on how many people enjoyed this, I may or may not set up a regular uploading schedule. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who. This is unbeta'd so any and all mistakes are mine.

Ianto was a little ashamed to admit he was excited to see the carriage the Harkness's owned. He had never been in a carriage before, so his damp spirits lifted a bit when Mr. Harkness approached their ride. Ianto had no idea a massive chunk of metal could instill as much awe in him as it did. It was the most beautiful, black carriage he had ever laid eyes on, with two doors leading to the inside instead of one. The head of the couch held the reins of two brilliant stallions, one white, and the other white with creamy brown spots. Both of their manes rippled in the sunlight, and little Ianto was mystified by their beauty.

Mr. Harkness, however, quickly put an end to Ianto's day-dreaming by snapping his fingers at him. "Hurry up! Stick your bags in their boy."

Ianto jumped to attention and hurriedly opened up the carriage, shoving his pathetic, raggedy bag onto the floor by one of the benches on the inside. He remember his place just in time, and stood back to hold the door open for the Harkness family. Ianto could tell Mrs. Harkness was pleased, and she actually smiled at him.

"He's already learning, Franklin! John was right, he really will make a lovely servant," she cooed at Ianto, who felt slightly mocked, but, wisely, kept his little mouth shut. Mrs. Harkness fanned her self as she sat down, her son taking a seat next to her. Mr. Harkness climbed in after and nodded his head at Ianto, giving him permission to enter. Ianto obediently mounted the steps and climbed into the carriage, sitting on the bench directly opposite of the Harknesses. He felt awkward, sitting there like that in front of them. Compared to them, his hygiene wasn't... well... the best. He was rather filthy and tried his hardest not to squirm in embarrassment. He decided, eventually, to try to distract himself by inspecting the inside of the carriage.

It was almost just as nice as the outside. From where Ianto was sitting, he could see the little window the head coach would talk to his passengers through. Ianto desperately wished they would open it so he could see the horses again. They looked so different to him so close up. He knew it would be rude, though, to try and ask for a favor; even if they did just take him from his home, he was a servant now, and had to act accordingly. Ianto was sure servants weren't so different from people who work as waiters and waitresses. He remembered when Alwyn told him about the time he spoke out of line.

"I just asked if she could take her screaming baby out of the pub, and she slapped me right across the face. Told me she would never come back again, the pompous tosser. Who brings a baby to a pub anyways?" Alwyn had grumbled to a six-year-old Ianto as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "And that's why, Ianto, you never ask favors of higher officials. Unless it's Mam or Tad. And even then tread carefully." And Ianto had nodded sagely at his brother, very thankful Alwyn had shared his wisdom with him.

Ianto decided he really didn't feel like being yelled at by the any of the Harkness family; they had a look about them that made Ianto very afraid of getting a tongue lashing from them.

Mr. Harkness shifted as he sat, reading a newspaper he had picked up. Ianto peered closely at his new master, his curiosity shifting quickly from the carriage to his new family. Mr. Harkness was a middle aged man, who had broad shoulder that made him appear very manly. For a man in his thirties, he seemed old to Ianto, with wrinkles around his eyes and the corners of his mouth. At the moment, his brows were furrowed, and he consistently sniffed as he read. A orange gem was resting against his throat, gleaming in the sunlight. Ianto felt he didnt look as threatening as he did before. Ianto imagined he wasn't as cold in reality as he was in the pub.

That in itself confused Ianto. Mr. Harkness had seemed reluctant to tell Ianto pack his things. That didn't make any sense. Why would he ask for their youngest son if he hated taking Ianto away from his family? Ianto shook his head. Grown-ups were too confusing.

Movement at the corner of the carriage caught Ianto's attention, and to be completely honest with himself, Ianto wasn't all surprised to see the Harkness son watching him. Ianto thought it was a tad bit creepy. He had no idea what the other boy wanted from him.

The boy's eyes got a little bigger as his eyes met Ianto's for the third time that evening. Instead of turning away like he had before, Ianto cocked his head to the side and stared back, his face unreadable. Ianto took this time to assess the Harkness son in the same fashion as he had done to his father.

It seemed the boy had a mix of his parents. He had the gorgeous blue eyes of his mother, but the nose and cheeks of his father. The one thing that seemed different to Ianto from either of his parents was his dark brown hair. Both of his parents were rather light haired compared to his. His complexion was soft like his mothers, and he still had the cheeks of a child, as Ianto was sure he did too. The expression fitting his eight-year-old face, however, made him look far older then he actually was.

Suddenly, the son smiled a knowing smile, before twisting around in his seat. He glanced once back at Ianto once, the grin still on his lips, before opening the window to the head coach. Ianto sucked in a little breath as the boy turned back to smile brightly at him.

"The horses are lovely, aren't they?" he said it to no one, but his eyes focused on Ianto as he declared it. His mother nodded, patting his arm gently with a placating hand absent mindedly, while the son, in turn, paid no mind to what she was doing either.

Ianto shivered slightly under the son's gaze, before turning to look out the window. He just wanted to be home, away from this family and the searching eyes of the Harkness's only child.

**************

Ianto's (sort of) acurate internal clock told him around thirty minutes had passed before the carriage finally came to a stop outside of a looming castle.

'Not just any castle,' Ianto thought, his tiny mouth falling open slightly as it clicked for him. His little brain couldn't believe his eyes. Hundreds oh thoughts and question flew through his mind. The actual castle! Where the king stayed! Who were these people! How did they connect to the king.

 'Alwyn was so right... there's going be so much adventuring and... and... Only if Rhi and Mam were-' Ianto quickly shook his head and shut the feelings away. Now was not the time to breakdown. Pushing his raging, conflicting feelings of awe, anger, and grief behind an emotionless mask, he exited the carriage to open door gently, holding it open for the Harknesses. Mrs. Harkness was as pleased with Ianto as before, and nodded at him with approval. Ianto quickly grabbed his bag and chased after the retreating backs of the Harknesses, gaping at the huge stone fortress the whole time.

Ianto let out a tiny gasp as he entered the building. The inside was even better! It was huge! There were huge tapestries hanging from the walls, and a red carpet lead to a door underneath a balcony that had two sets of steps leading down from it, one from the left, and one from the right.

To Ianto's direct right was a long hall with a door at the end, and on the other side was another huge staircase that lead to where Ianto guessed was upstairs. Mr. Harkness suddenly stopped and Ianto barely avoided colliding with his back. Mr. Harkness turned to look down at Ianto for a few moments, before putting a hand on his shoulder and beginning to guide him down the hallway to the right.

"This way Ianto. I have some people to introduce you to in the kitchen crew," he said crisply, leading an obedient Ianto into the door at the end of the hall. Mrs. Harkness and her son went the other way, climbing up the stairs and disappearing from sight.

Ianto dragged his bag through the door, already panting. He was furious with himself. This was why he could never work with Alwyn and Tad. Why did he have to be so weak! His face slowly reddened from excursion and embarrassment as he struggled with his bag. If Mr. Harkness took note of his predicament, he didn't show it as he continued down the halls at the same pace as before. Ianto didn't know whether to feel relieved of terribly embarrassed by Mr. Harkness's silence.

There were a few more twists and turns. Ianto tried to remember, make a mental map or something, but there was just to much to absorb and he had more important things to worry about, like trying not to throw a faint not even a day into his new life.

The ending of the twisting passage was sudden and very unexpected. The plain looking door at the end of one of the halls lead into a huge dinning room, and Ianto gasped. He wondered faintly if everything in this castle was over sized. The table could easily fit several people. Above the table was a huge chandelier, it's little gem's throwing tear drops of rainbow colors across the room. It was beautiful.

There was so much for Ianto to take in and absorb. He wanted to commit every single detail to his memory. As usual, however, Mr. Harkness had other plans. Ianto stiffened when Mr. Harkness turned him towards a swinging door. Ianto could hear a lot of hustle and bustle going on inside, and was a little wary. It sounded ten times louder then the kitchen at home, and little Ianto was childishly afraid.

It didn't help at all when a blur burst forth through the door, thoroughly startling Ianto. The red blur smacked right into Mr. Harkness's chest, bouncing of the man and onto the floor with a soft thunk. Ianto blinked at the perpetrator.

On the floor sat a small girl, her fiery red hair cascading down to her shoulder blades. She blinked up at Mr. Harkness with large brown eyes, her lips parted in shock. She scrambled away and smacked right into a woman who looked furious. The woman's hair was a shockingly red as the girls, and her dark eyes were smoldering in her face; she looked extremely angry. Ianto mentally added the woman to the list of people he did not want to upset in this castle.

"Amelia Pond, for the last time, I told you, you cannot- Mr. Harkness!" she exclaimed as if she had just noticed he was there. She tucked the loose strands of hair back behind her ear and straightened her flour crusted apron out. "Mr. Harkness, what can i do for you, sir?" she asked, shoving the girl, Amelia, behind her and giving him a tight smile. Mr. Harkness raised an eyebrow, before shoving Ianto in front of him. Taken by surprise, Ianto gasped, skidding and almost pitching forward from the firm push on his shoulders. The woman looked down at him, slightly puzzled. Amelia peeked out from around the woman's back and stared at Ianto in awe. He could only squirm and stare bashfully at his feet as the two ladies stared at him.

Mr. Harkness smiled slightly. "This is Ianto Jones. He will start helping around the kitchen from now on, and you are to raise him as your own... Is that alright, Ms. Noble?" Donna stared down at the smallish boy, her lips parted slightly. Behind her, Amelia's eyes became as round as saucers. Ianto didn't notice the two attitudes of the ladies, for he kept his head bowed. Donna felt her heart ache for yet another lost child as she took in the appearance of the child, Ianto, and knew that she'd take care of this cutie whether they asked her to or not.

Before she could reply properly, however, Amelia couldn't keep her surprise and confusion to herself anymore and blurted out, "But he's a boy! Cleaning the kitchen is a woman's job!" Ianto felt his ears turn red. Ms. Noble looked mortified and pinched one of her ears.

"Dont be so rude! Men and women are equal here in this Realm. Don't you dare write off people's jobs like that!" Speaking to Mr. Harkness, she said, "She's always such a hot head, just look at her hair." she laughed nervously at Mr. Harkness. He, to Ianto's unending surprise, only gave a good-natured laugh.

"It's alright. She has a point. It is a womanly job." At that, Ianto noticed the dangerous flare in Ms. Noble's eyes, but Mr. Harkness blundered on, completely oblivious. "But Ianto here is too weak to do much more then that, so please, bear with him," Mr. Harkness said patiently to the girl. Ianto felt the red flush creep up down his neck and across his face. He was consistently being belittled and ignored, and in the face of these strangers, it was all the more embarrassing. Donna chuckled tersely along with him, shoving Amy's head behind her back for the fourth time in as many minutes. She crossed her arms as if to put up an invisible barrier between herself and Mr. Harkness.

"Right, of course, we'll treat him like family, here, you have nothing to worry about," she aimed her statement at a still very crimson Ianto, her dark eyes softening slightly in a motherly way. Ianto felt soothed; her eyes and her tone reminded him a lot of my mother, and that in turn remind him about the break down lingering behind his adult like mask. Ianto really wanted to prove he was a man, and crying in public was not going to help his case.

Once again, Mr. Harkness shoved Ianto forward and Donna grabbed his shoulder to steady him, shooting a glare at Mr. Harkness.

He ignored it. "Okay, Ms. Noble, i trust you. I know you'll mold him into a fine man," his eyes lingered on Ianto for a moment, before he turned back and swiftly exited the dinning room. Ianto violently when Mrs. Noble immediately exploded at Amelia.

"Good Lord Amy! This is the seventh time I've caught you snitching off the young master's plates! You're lucky I was the one who caught you and not one of the lords or counselors," she fumed, her hair flying around her face like a red halo. Amy looked at her stubbornly, her little arms crossed and her lips pressed firmly together.

"It isn't fair, Miss Donna, it isn't at all fair," she pouted, her brown eyes alive with fury. "All the young master does is sit around on his fat arse and demand stuff. He's a huge baby!" she said, and Donna pulled on her ear harshly.

"Oi! Language, young lady!" Amy completely ignored the rebuke. The only sign that told Ianto she had notice the scolding at all was the way Amy scowled and rubbed her ear. "All we get is bread and some scraps of fat if we're lucky," she complained. "He gets all kinds of goods, puddings and turkey and ham, even chocolate! I've had chocolate only once, and that's when I snitched it."

Ianto watched Miss Donna deflate like balloon and shake her head, sighing. "Don't be this way Amy. I convinced them to let you stay here if I could raise you properly, so don't repay me or them by acting out of line. With your track record now, you would've been thrown out ages ago... You're lucky the king respects my opinions." she said curtly, before ending the conversation by turning and finally looking Ianto in the eye.

"Ah! Ianto was it? Such a lovely name for such a handsome boy. Oh you'll be a heart breaker one of these days," she cooed, flutter around him a bit, scoping him out.

Ianto flushed a little darker and dipped his head."Thank you, Ms. Noble."

Donna waved her hand in the air, brushing away the formalities. "Oi, none of that, your family now! Donna will do just fine, sweetheart, it's that one that needs to learn her manners," she said with find exasperation, throwing her thumb over her shoulder towards Amy. Amy squawked indignantly and Donna chuckled fondly. Ianto cracked a small smile. Donna's grin grew as Ianto seemed to relax slightly; no eight-year-old should look so tense. She took one look at his bag and quickly got back to business.

"Right! Your baggage! Come on then, this way," she said with a smile, before herding Amy into the kitchens, not checking to see if Ianto followed. He quickly ducked in after them, glancing around as he went. The kitchen was alive; stoves were burning and ovens were full of food. The chefs ran to and fro, looking a bit frenzied. Ianto almost got lost in all of the hustle. He was suddenly very thankful Amy and Miss Donna had such bright red hair.

Donna pushed her way through waiters and waitresses, moving all the way to a door in the back. It opened into a whole new wing of the castle. They walked down a hallway a bit, before turning down another hallway to the right.

She turned her head back briefly and said, to Ianto, "This part of the servant rooms are for maids and other servants." She came to a stop in front of a room.

"Ah, here we are... Amy and I share this room with another girl, whom I'm sure you'll meet later. You'll stay with us if that's alright; there really isn't any more room in the men's wing," she lied; she had a feeling Owen and the others would pick on Ianto because of his apparent weakness. She felt bad for the boy who was out of breath just from that short walk with his bag.

Ianto didn't notice any sort of lie, but he did see Amy wrinkle her nose at Miss Donna's rooming arrangements. Ianto wondered if she didn't want him here. If she did, she didn't say anything.

Ianto hesitantly walked inside the room and set his bag down next to one of the beds. That apparently, was what finally shot Amy off.

"That's my bed," she snapped, and Ianto blinked, before beginning to quietly move his bag to another one of the three beds, but she quickly said, "And that's Miss Donna's and the other one is Toshiko's. You will have to sleep on the floor." She crossed her little arms stubbornly, and Ianto flushed again, unsure what do do with himself. Scandalized, Donna descended on her in fury.

"Amelia Pond! How rude! You and Toshiko will have no problems sharing a bed, seeing as you two already cuddle for warmth so often. Ianto will get your bed, and don't you dare say a word against me sweet cheeks, you're already testing me today with your attitude," she warned fiercely as Amy's mouth opened as if she was going to argue. "You should really learn to be more nice to people, Amy," she said sharply.

Donna put her hands on her hips, knowing this next part would be like hell to get through the girl's head. "Now apologize to him." Amy's eyes opened wide and she looked at Miss Donna in despair. Amy was begging Miss Donna to let her go; Ianto could tell she had a lot of pride for someone so young. Donna just looked at her firmly, jaw set.

Amy was beyond livid, and obviously hurt by Ms. Noble's outburst. Her little lips were pressed into a thin white line as she struggle to hold frustrated tears. Ianto was uncomfortable, and squirmed under Amy's angry gaze. If looks could kill...

"Erm.... It's 'Kay, Miss Donna, I don't really mind," Ianto mutter, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

Donna shook her head and stood her ground, her eyes never leaving Amy. "It most certainly is not okay, Mr. Jones, and it'll do you good to remember from now on I'll tell you what's okay and what's not," she said sharply. Ianto mouth, which was open to insist it was alright, shut with a snap, and he pressed his lips together obediently.

Amy gritted her teeth when she realized she had no other choice but to apologize to the new kid. Ianto wished she didn't have to; this was definitely not going to help their relationship.

Amy's nostrils flared. Then there it was, a tiny mutter, almost a soft hiss. Ianto was content with the animalistic apology, but Miss Donna was not amused. She cleared her throat, clearly annoyed. Amy's eyes darkened. She set her jaw, and with much gusto snapped, "I'm sorry! Alright there I said it! I'm sorry!" She snorted and turned away.

Donna sighed and shook her head; she knew she wasn't getting anything more out of Amy. She watched her adoptive daughter leave in a huff and Ianto continued to feel increasingly awkward standing there like that.

Donna suddenly turned to him and sighed. "Sorry.... Go ahead and unpack and get some sleep. Busy day for you tomorrow." She smiled tiredly at him, before leaving. Ianto paused for a moment, before getting busy on what she requested.

He couldn't help but wonder how he was supposed to survive living here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank all of you that commented and viewed! I can't guarentee I'll always be uploading this fast, but I'll try to post at least once a week.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who. This is unbeta'd so any and all mistakes are mine.

Ianto was awoken from his (half-asleep) slumber by the sound of the door to the bedroom opening. He sat up slowly, barely catching the flash of red disappearing through the door in the dim lamplight through his red eyes (he had had that good cry as soon as Miss Donna left. He felt a lot better for it.) He looked over at the other beds and wasn't surprised to see that Amy's bright red head wasn't peeking out from under the covers. Ianto knew it'd be best to stay put in his nice warm bed, ignore Amy and go back to sleep. He knew following the fiery red-head was a bad idea... But he just couldn't help it. His insatiable childish curiosity overrode his logical reasoning yet again. He quickly climbed out of bed and tip-toed to the door. He eased it open and slipped out after her.

Immediately, Ianto was reminded how bad of an idea this was. He barely remember which way Miss Donna had led him yesterday, let alone how to get back to the kitchen; those hallways were like mazes. In a few seconds, he was completely lost. He had no idea how he made it to the kitchen, but when he did, instead of rejoicing, he mentally groaned; finding his way back would be ten times harder.

Pushing the reasons why this was a bad idea to the back of his mind, he started searching for Amy. He had no idea what he'd do if he found her, but he figured he'd eventually come up with some reason why he'd followed the fierce red-head. Maybe he'd tell her she should come back to bed in case Miss Donna woke up. He started opening cabinets and pantry doors, but no matter how many he searched through, he couldn't seem to find her.

After several minutes of fruitless searching, he was just about to give up and call it a night when he saw out of the corner of his eye a pantry door shudder. He wheeled around and came face to face with Amy, whose lips were covered in crumbs. Her brown eyes looked stunned, before her face twisted with annoyance.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed, fury and shame at being caught making her face flush a color that rivaled her hair. Ianto floundered for a minute. Why was he here again? Oh right! Miss Donna. Of course.

Ianto had opened his mouth to respond when they heard a sound at the door to the kitchen. Fury quickly turned to terror in her murky gaze, and without thinking, Ianto shoved her back inside the pantry and turned to face whoever was coming through the door. He froze as the young master peeked his head around the door. Catching Ianto's eyes with his darker blue ones, he paused in the door of the kitchen.

Ianto felt the shiver work it's way down his spine again as the Harkness boy cocked his head to the side. They were both silent as they watched each other. Then a small smile worked its way onto the other boy's lips.

"You're the new servant." It was a statement, spoken in a tone of voice that was not at all hushed. Ianto tensed and he simply chuckled as only children can.

"Don't worry, no one can hear us down here... As long as you don't knock down anything from the shelves." He paused as if waiting for Ianto to speak. When he didn't the other boy stepped closer, his hands clasped behind his back. Ianto stayed still as the young master's eight-year old face leaned close to his own. The other boy's eyes studied Ianto before they took in more of his face.

The young master blinked, before saying to Ianto, "Your eyes are weird."

Ianto tried not to feel offended by the boy's frank analysis, but he couldn't stop a hot, embarrassed, pink flush from flaring up on his cheeks and ears. He gritted his teeth slightly, but remained silent and respectful. The son watched him for a moment more, before saying, "It's past curfew for servants."

At that Ianto tensed further, before nodding and finally speaking. "S-sorry s-sir, I was... Unaware..." The other boy's eyebrows shot towards his hairline and Ianto knew the boy wasn't fooled. Despite that, however, the young master said nothing; he just nodded.

"I see... Well... I was just gonna get a snack..." He trailed off, watching Ianto expectantly. Ianto blinked at him, confused, before jumping as he remembered his new job.

"Oh! Right of course, s-sorry! I'll fetch some biscuits or something." Ianto turned back to the pantry and opened the door slowly, his back ramrod straight. He pretended to ignore Amy, who was watching him with a mixtrue of terror and awe. What did she think? He was going to rat her out or something? Not likely.

He rummaged through the sacks with sweet bread inside, picking out the plumpest and whitest roll from the bag. Ianto exited the pantry and turned around before holding out the bread to the young master. His dark blue gaze was focused solely on Ianto as he took the bread. He looked at it carefully, before breaking it in half. Ianto's eyebrows shot up in shock as the son dumped half of the soft bread into his hands.

"Thank y-you... Sir," He stammered, staring at the bread as the young master bit into his half. The son wiped his mouth on his sleeve before smiling at Ianto confidently.

"Tomorrow, you be the one to bring my lunch at noon. I've got something to show you." His blue eyes were suddenly alive with that same sense of adventure from the pub. Before Ianto could protest or ask where the son's room was, the young master turned on his heel and left the kitchen. Ianto wondered briefly if the Harkness son was going to report him. He immediately dismissed the idea. The boy would've yelled if he was going to alert the authorities.

Ianto had completely forgotten about Amy until he heard the door behind him squeak. She inched out and stared at him in awe, the terror fading. Ianto looked at the sweet bread in his hands, before breaking it in half and handing her part of it. Her eyes shone with new found respect and relief. She threw an arm around his shoulders as she shoved her part into her mouth.

"Y'know Ianto, I think I misjudged you, you're a good lad," she said around her food. Ianto nibbled on his bit as she led him back to their room. Perhaps he had misjudged her too.

************

The following day at noon Ianto approached the young master's bedroom. Amy had agreed to help him find the room because she didn't want to upset the young master and get Ianto in trouble on accident. After the previous night's impromptu rescue, the red-head warmed up a considerable amount. It also made Miss Donna happy when he volunteered to relieve the food to the young master. She, of course, made him freshen up and put on cleaner clothes before going to meet the young master. Ianto wisely didn't mention he had already met the Harkness son. Twice.

As Ianto made his way down the hallways of the castle, he reflected on the hectic past day. He still missed his family dearly, but now that Amy was warming up to him, he knew he'd be able to make a good life out of his time here. He had not been able to meet Toshiko; she was already gone by the time Ianto woke up. He figured, however, that she must be a good person if Amy and Miss Donna both liked her. He made himself a mental note to properly introduce himself later.

Despite the instructions from Amy, Ianto did get lost once (okay three times) but, once again, he got there eventually. It actually puzzled Ianto a little. It felt like the castle was leading him to where he was supposed to go. Shaking his head and lifting his chin, he knocked on the son's door. He balanced his tray on his forearm, trying to look as adult-like and passive as possible.

Ianto stood there stock-still for a few seconds, before the door swung open. The young master's expression was dull until he laid his eyes on Ianto. The blue orbs flared with glee and excitement. The young master ushered him in, a big, wild grin on his face.

"You really came! Wow!" He looked at the sandwiches and fruites in Ianto's hands and smiled. "Okay hold that right there for just a moment!" He jumped up and went to his giant closet. While he was in there, Ianto gazed around his room curiously. He noticed the turquoise gem of charm on his dresser attached to a metal chain. Next to it was the deep violet red gem for strength attached to a white gold chain. He didn't know how to pronounce their names very well. Ianto couldn't help but be childishly amazed; it must have cost a fortune for both the chains and the gems. Oh how he wished he could have that gem for strength. Even just a small piece. He shook his head. Ianto wasn't the important one right now. His gaze quickly returned to the young master as he reappeared from the closet.

He was holding up a woven basket. At his instruction, Ianto placed all of the food into the tray neatly and then looked back at the young master. The boy smiled and threw the basket over his shoulder before heading outside. Ianto hesitated. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to follow even though he knew the son had asked him to come up here because he wanted to show Ianto something.

Ianto was saved from making a potential mistake when the son turned back and waved at Ianto to follow. That was all the encouragement he needed. Ianto scrambled after the young master as he skipped down a path that lead into the woods. Ianto caught up to him eventually, his chest heaving from the strain of rushing after the son. Ianto felt embarrassed by how weak he was yet again. The young master gave Ianto a funny look but slowed his pace all the same.

Ianto didn't dare ask where they were going. He felt like that might annoy the young master since it seemed what the son wanted to show him was secret and supposed to be a surprise. Ianto was unsure why the son had chosen him in the first place. It seemed like it was something important, and Ianto was just a common, poor servant. A weak poor servant. He was startled when the young master began to talk to him.

"Y'know, I was almost afraid you weren't gonna come." He wrinkled his nose up. "That would've been disappointing; you're the only other boy my age here in the castle." The young master paused. "Well, besides Owen, but he isn't all that fun; he gets all sulky when he loses. You won't, will you?" The young master was suddenly looking at Ianto and all he could do was shake his head quickly. That seemed to satisfy him and he continued on his way.

"Father sends other rich kids to come play with me from the other Realms, but they're all so..." He wrinkled his nose again. "Whiney. John Hart especially." By that point, Ianto had caught on to the reason why the son had invited him along; he was the only boy the son had yet to try and play with. It bothered little Ianto. He understood why the son had asked, but he wished it was because he thought Ianto was 'cool' or 'mature' like the other boy's their age.

Despite his feelings, however, Ianto nodded and followed quietly as the young master lead the way. He was only the servant after all. The young master continued to talk for a bit about how boring the castle was, before he stopped suddenly and faced Ianto.

"I'm Jack. Did I mention that before?" Ianto shook his head, but smiled weakly to show he didn't really mind. Ianto waited for Jack to continue walking, but Jack just stood his ground, crossing his little eight-year-old arms stubbornly for some reason. Ianto was bewildered by his rapidly changing attitude.

"Well?" Jack demanded, and Ianto took a step back.

"Erm... Sir?" Ianto stuttered out, and Jack let out a puff of air.

"Your name! Usually when one person tells another their name, the other person responds with their name," Jack said with a very 'put upon' sort of attitude. Ianto was affront by the other boy's tone, but remained respectful.

"Jones. Ianto Jones," Ianto mumbled quickly, now steadily avoiding Jack's prying blue gaze. Jack, however didn't seem to notice or care. He was back in his childish state of excitement.

"Yes well, now that we know each other's names, we can properly get on. Come on then, not much farther," and with that, Jack was turning away and bounding down the path again. Ianto, by now extremely annoyed with Jack's consistently changing attitude, took his time. He refused to get himself all worn out following some spoiled brat who probably didn't know how to ask for something properly.

It took Jack a full minute before he notice the lack of a certain welsh boy. He turned around and headed back the way he came. He found Ianto a good distance back and he furrowed his brows.

"What's taking you so long? Why can't you keep up?" Jack asked, his childish temper quickly getting the best of him. Ianto, who usually was a very peaceful soul, had had about enough of Jack's pushy, spontaneous behavior, and his face turned a brilliant shade of pink. He snapped back at Jack.

"I'm weak, alright! I can't move very far very fast because I'll get winded. I don't like to get winded. Leave me to catch up or send me back, but stop pushing me!" Ianto stomped his little foot for emphasis, putting his little hands on his little hips. Jack stared.

The two young boys faced each other in their defensive positions. Ianto began to get nervous when Jack didn't answer for a very long time. He began to fear that his 'job' was already at risk because he had talked back to the young master. His family would be so ashamed.

That tore Ianto out of his indignant tantrum very quickly. He straightened his arms out and tilted his head down, focusing his gaze at his feet.

"Sorry sir, I just-"

"Don't say you're sorry."

Ianto looked up, confused. Now Jack was looking away towards the ground, almost as if he was ashamed. Ianto felt a tad bit bad. Before he could continue with his apology, Jack spoke up again.

"If you need me to slow down, you tell me, or I won't know, 'kay? I don't have a problem doing that, I just need to know," Jack said gruffly. He slowly turned his eyes up to look at Ianto. "Truce, okay? I still want to show you something." Jack gave a small unsure smile.

Ianto was stunned, but nodded all the same and gave Jack a tiny smile in return. Jack's smile widened, knowing that all was well and he hook his tiny arm with Ianto's.

"Good! Ya know, I think that's the most I've heard you talk yet, Jones, Ianto Jones," Jack started, and quickly fell back into his steady stream of childish chatter as the two walked. Ianto remained as silent as he always was, and nodded and hummed in all the right places. He was actually very intrigued by Jack's stories. He spun tales that were so big and fantastic that Ianto couldn't help but be hooked on his every word. Ianto had no idea how hard he had been listening to Jack until he was actually a little startled by Jack's abrupt silence. Ianto looked over at the young master, a little concerned. All he saw on Jack's face, however, was excitement as he gaze in front of them.

Ianto looked back in front of them and cocked his head to the side. He was unsure what was so great. It was just a tangle of dried branches and leaves blocking their way. Ianto opened his mouth to ask what the point of this adventure was when Jack stepped forwards.

"This is my place."

He pulled the tangled creepers apart and held them open for Ianto. Once again surprised by Jack's behavior, Ianto slipped in, and immediately, he was stunned into silence. He didn't even register Jack entering from behind him.

Behind the twisting thick creepers was a river. It ran right through the clearing, throwing water up onto the bank every now and then. Beside the river on both sides were huge rocks that were perfect for climbing around on. The trees stretched up so far that it seemed as if they were scraping the sky with their leaves. They cast a shadow over the entire clearing, so that the only light there was was from the sun flitting through their leaves every time the wind blew.

Jack was thoroughly enjoying seeing Ianto's face so full of awe. When Jack had noticed Ianto's interests in the carriage and horses, he knew that Ianto would see the same beauty Jack saw in this special clearing. Jack so loved being right.

"It's pretty, isn't it? I found it a few days after we were relocated here," Jack informed a still gaping Ianto. His voice seemed to bring Ianto back to the present, for the largest grin Jack had seen on him yet spread over his face. Jack made a promise then and there he'd do what ever it took to get Ianto to smile like that more often.

"It's wonderful," Ianto breathed, walking towards one of the rocks. Jack flopped down on a rather large one and patted the space next to him.

"Come on up. I won't bite. Not hard at least," he grinned and Ianto rolled his eyes, but climbed up onto the rock all the same.

"I found this hide-out when the castle was relocated. It's pretty awesome," Jack said happily, looking at Ianto out of the corner of his eye. "You can write your name in the mud. I'd like to see how you spell your name. It's weird. Yan-Toe."

Ianto winced at the pronunciation, before squirming a little. "I... I don't know how to read or write, sir," Ianto admitted, swinging his feet and staring at the water to avoid having to look at Jack. Jack's brows furrowed.

"You don't know how to read or write?" Jack was a little stunned; he thought everyone knew how to read and write. He suddenly grew determined.

"Well then I'll just have to teach you! I can't believe you've never read a book!" Jack hopped off the rock. "I'll be back in a mo!" He called over his shoulder as he stepped through the curtain of creepers. the biy disappeared before Ianto could protest. Ianto was embarrassed but also very excited. He knew it was improper for the young master to try and teach him how to read and write, but he also couldn't help but anticipate the lesson anyways.

Jack didn't keep Ianto waiting long. He was back in record time, face red and chest heaving. Ianto had to bite back a giggle when Jack grinned at him, all teeth, and held up the books.

"Just you wait, Yan! You'll be reading and writing before you know it!" Jack exclaimed, climbing back up on the rock. Ianto couldn't find it in him to be annoyed at Jack for shortening his name; Jack's excitement was rubbing off on him. Ianto smiled back, and Jack flipped the beginner's book open.

"Okay, let's see here..."

**************

The sun was starting to set by the time Jack let Ianto go back to his quarters; Jack wouldn't let him leave any sooner. No matter how much Ianto insisted he'd get in trouble, Jack continuously stated, "You'll be fine, you're with me!" Ianto had no choice but to believe him. Besides, he didn't really want to go. He had a lot of fun learning the alphabet and basic words. Jack was, surprisingly, a very patient teacher.

Jack sent him on his way with his tray, dishes (now barren) and a few math booklets. He told Ianto to give them to his friend Toshiko. Ianto acquiesced, knowing this would give him another excuse to finally meet his other 'roommate.'

"Come back tomorrow! I promise I won't keep you as long," Jack had told him, making him pinkie-promise before he was satisfied with Ianto's answer. Ianto wanted to come back. He'd work out a schedule with Miss Donna as soon as possible so he could come back as often as he wanted.

Ianto had made only one mistake.

He didn't ask Jack for directions back to the castle kitchens.

He was lost within five minutes of leaving Jack's room and had been stuck that way for thirty more . He wandered aimlessly, praying the castle would work its magic again and lead him back to the kitchens. He was late enough as it was. Perhaps that could be his excuse; he had been lost. For five hours. Yes, they might believe that.

Ianto was about to give up and sit down and take another break when he heard something. A voice.

 _Hero._..

The hair on the back of his neck rose and a shiver worked its way down his spine.

"Hello?"He called nervously, his voice sounding too loud for his liking in the hallway. He whipped around and was startled to see a door that wasn't their before.

_Ianto Jones...._

Ianto grew stiff. Something in his gut was tugging him towards the door. The fear was gone now, and all he wanted to do was answer the whisper, to find whom it belonged to. Ianto dropped the tray with a clatter. He took a few steps towards the door, his little feet shuffling forward on their own accord.

_Hero... Ianto... Ianto Jones..._

His little hand reached out for the brass door handle. A tingling spread through his body the closer he got to the oak door. The whispering got more heated.

_Ianto... Ianto... Ianto... Ianto... Hero... Ianto Jones..._

"Oi! What are you doing?"

Ianto whirled around, heart pounding. It jumped up to his throat when he noticed who had called him.

King John Smith made his way down the corridor. He was surprised to see it was the Jones child. They stared at each other for a moment. John looked past the boy and let his eyes rest on the bare wall behind him. John looked back down at Ianto before he repeated the question.

"What are you doing down here?" John eyed the fallen dishes and platter, mildly concerned; was the boy already hearing the token? Ianto tugged at his tiny shirt collar, swallowing hard.

"Well sir, t-there was this door-" at that point, Ianto had turned to face said door, and froze. The door was gone. He turned back to face the king, his jaw slack.

"I... Sir there... there was a door... It whispered my name," Ianto whispered, his eyes wide. It was John's turn to swallow hard. It was just as he feared.

This was dangerous. The king knew nowhere was really, truly you one hundred percent safe. Saxon could already have allies that were searching for Ianto. He kneeled down and put his hands on the young boy's shoulders.

"I believe you, Ianto, I do, but no one else can know what happened, or else very bad things will happen." The king said firmly, his eyes shining with fear. Ianto took in the expression on the king's face and nodded quickly, a shiver of fear wracking his body. John put his hands on either side of his face. "Promise me, Ianto, no one." Ianto nodded again and John sighed in relief. He'd have to take the child's word for it.

He stood, dusting his pants off. "Good! Right then, Mr. Jones, you should be on your way now! I'm sure Donna will be looking for you! Take a right at the end of the hallway and enter the door two down from the left. Should lead you to the servants quarters. And remember," the king's gaze intensified. "No one." His face cleared and he bounced on the balls of his feet. "Good day, or should I say night, Mr. Jones."And with that, the king turned on his heel and disappeared in a door to the left.

It took Ianto a few moments to come back to himself. He quickly picked up the fallen cutlery and scurried down the hallway, following the king's directions. He replayed what happened over and over again. There was a door. He knows there was!

When he made it back, he didn't mention what happened to Amy or Donna, who both were firing questions at him. He didn't mention anything to Toshiko Sato, whom he finally met. He liked her; she was soft spoken and sweet, and was very excited when he gave her the math booklets. He knew they'd get along quite well.

And the next day at noon, when Jack asked what was distracting him so much after Ianto's attention drifted for the third time, Ianto mentioned nothing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who. This is unbeta'd so any and all mistakes are mine.

The queen of the Metals Realm was annoyed. She picked her way through yet another swamp, her patience steadily wearing thin. Saxon had never mentioned how much he had let his Realm go over the years; if he had, perhaps she would've dressed for the occasion. By now, her favorite black power suit was destroyed and her feet were aching in her black high heels. Her blond hair was a ragged mess of dead twigs and swamp water. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to forget about the deal with Saxon and go home.

However, she knew she couldn't do such a thing. Her life depended on it. She patted the sack she was carrying reverently, knowing what was held inside was her only hope to save herself. Her sense of self-preservation was what gave her the strength to continue pushing through the tangled undergrowth.

After what felt like hours, the queen finally spied one of the flags of Saxon’s castle through the dead trees. She picked up her pace, wanting to get inside as soon as possible. The trees began thinning out on both sides of her before they finally fell away all together. The queen stared up at the dilapidated castle, her heart thudding. She was actually going to do this.

She took a few steps towards the castle and laid her hand of the giant oak doors. Before she could try and pull the rotting doors open, a voice spoke up from behind her.

“I wouldn't do that if I were you, Yvonne.”

Queen Yvonne spun around, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. She poised a hand over the sack as she felt the object inside shudder against her hip. She straightened up when she finally recognized the woman standing opposite of her.

“Lucy. It’s been quite some time, hasn't it? How was your stay in Hell?” Yvonne asked, her voice dripping venom. Lucy Saxon seemed unaffected by the barb, her almost predatory grin never leaving her face.

“Oo! It was quiet fantastic. My husband knows how to make any situation so much fun,” Lucy giggled, clapping her hands together in front of her chest. “Even now in his weakened state he knows how to keep us entertained,” she sighed happily, her eyes roaming over Yvonne’s tense form. Her eyes took on an insane gleam when they landed on the sack.

“Is that it? Do you have it?” Lucy demanded, baring her teeth in a wild grin. Queen Yvonne nodded, opening up the sack slowly and pulling out a sheathed dagger.

“Take off the sheath. Take it off!” she hissed, taking a step closer to Yvonne. The queen obeyed, slipping the dagger out of the leather sheath. The two women shielded their eyes from the piercing , golden glow.  Lucy was the first to recover. She darted forward and snatched the token out of Yvonne’s hands.

“Oh so beautiful,” she breathed, running her fingers lightly over the blade. “All that power, the Master will be so thrilled,” she purred, completely transfixed by the glowing blade.

Yvonne shifted uncomfortably, before asking quietly, “I am immune now, right? He promised me that if I gave up the Metal token, he’d spare me.”

Lucy’s eyes never left the blade. “If you also agree to supply us with as much metal as we need, then yes, you will be immune.” Lucy grinned, finally tearing her gaze away from the blade. “Do we have a deal, Queen Yvonne Hartman?”

Yvonne swallowed hard, before nodding her head firmly.

“We have a deal.”

**********

The Master grinned as he clutched the Eighth Realm’s token to his chest. He watched his beautiful, corrupted staff steal tendrils of power from the golden dagger. The blackened staff flashed a bright gold before fading back to its corrupted state.

The dagger clattered to the floor, it’s once beautiful glow replaced with a black mask. The Master clapped his hands with delight.

“Your move, Hero.”

***********

In King John’s chambers, the stopwatch with the golden flame dimmed further.

The King looked up from where he was studying the prophecy. When he laid eyes on the dim glow, his heart sank to his stomach.

“Please… just a little more time. I need just a little more time,” the King whispered to himself, turning his gaze back to the prophecy.

“The Immortal... who is the Immortal?”

***********

_Ianto Jones, 18 years, 0 months, 0 weeks, and 0 days old_

Ianto gasped, sitting up straight in his bed. The voices from his dreams echoed eerily in his ears.

“Those voices again,” Ianto murmured, his heart thumping wildly in his chest. “What do they mean?”

Ianto scrubbed his hands over his face. Every year since on his birthday, Ianto has the same dream. The same voices whisper to him. The same golden light flashes before his eyes when he wakes up. The same word lingers in his ears: _Hero_.

Ianto can never remember what the voices say to him in his dreams. The harder he tries to remember, the further and further they slip through his fingers. Ianto shook his head, thoroughly frustrated.

The dreams had started after Ianto’s run in with the disappearing door. As confused as Ianto was, he didn’t dare speak about his dreams or the door to anyone.

_"I believe you, Ianto, I do, but no one else can know what happened, or else very bad things will happen."_

Ianto grimaced at his hands.

“What bad things? Why me? I’m sick of all this bloody secrecy,” he grumbled, throwing back the covers and placing his bare feet on the floor. He stretched, working a kink out of his neck with his hand. The squeak of the door was the only warning he got before he was pounced upon by Amy.

The red-head threw her arms around Ianto and grinned at him. “Happy eighteenth birthday, Ianto! Do you feel any older?” Ianto chuckled and looked over Amy’s head at Toshiko, who was grinning just as big as Amy.

“Nope, still feel exactly the same,” he said as Toshiko came to sit down on the other side of Ianto. Amy slid off his lap and onto the bed next to him. She pouted a little.

“That’s no fun, I always feel a wee bit older,” she said, flipping her long red hair over her shoulder. Ianto arched an eyebrow.

“Yes, it’s very evident by your behavior,” Ianto deadpanned, flicking her pouting lip with his finger. She scowled at him.

“Oi! You cheeky bugger! Just for that, I won’t give you your one-of-a-kind present,” she huffed, crossing her arms and turning the other way. Toshiko hid her smile in her hand, before handing Ianto a poorly wrapped present.

“Here Ianto, our present to you,” she said with small smile. Amy turned her head around, a betrayed expression on her face.

“Traitor!” she yowled, leaping across Ianto’s lap and tackling her friend. Ianto shook her head with fond exasperation, before starting to delicately tear open the paper. At the sound of the ripping paper, the two girls settled and watched Ianto open his present eagerly.

Ianto’s face lit up as he pulled the book out of the wrapping. “Whoa,” he murmured, flipping it over in his hands to read the back. “This is a really nice book, where did you get it?”

The two girls looked at each other. Toshiko looked guilty while Amy wore a triumphant grin. Ianto’s eyebrows shot up. “You didn’t.”

Amy grinned. “We sure did! Snatched it right out of the library. It had so much dust on it, Ianto! We figured they’d never notice it was gone.” Ianto laughed.

“You’re probably right. I’m just surprised you were in on it,” Ianto said to Toshiko. She blushed a little.

“Well, you heard Amy. That poor book would’ve never been opened again,” she said a tad bit defensively. Ianto laughed and shook his head again. He set the book aside and wrapped his arms around both of his friends.

“Thank you, I can’t wait to start it.” After a few moments, Ianto pulled back and stretched.

“What time is it anyways,” he asked, standing and walking over to his wardrobe.

“Oh, around 1:30, I think,” Toshiko said, and started when Ianto turned around sharply.

“1:30?! I’m late! Why didn’t you wake me up?” Ianto asked, frantically changing out of his bed clothes. Toshiko flushed and turned away. Amy, on the other hand, watched appreciatively.

“Because it’s your day off. You should be allowed to sleep in at least one day of the year,” Amy retorted, rolling off the bed as Ianto finished dressing.

“Not important, Amy, he’s expecting me,” he said, flinging the door open. Amy huffed.

“What do you two even do up there? Sometimes you’re gone for hours!” she asked, her hands on her hips. Ianto turned to face her.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” he winked at her, before rushing down through the servant’s quarters towards the kitchens. After ten years of taking the same route, Ianto knew the servant’s quarters like the back of his hand.

Ianto busted through the swinging door and narrowly avoided hitting two chefs carrying boiling pots of water. He weaved through the working kitchen servants, ducking under platters and squeezing between carts. Just as he reached the door, someone called him back.

“Oi! Tea-boy! Don’t forget this!” Ianto turned and smiled sheepishly at Owen. The grumpy servant held out a platter laden with lunch foods.

Ianto gratefully took the platter from Owen, who rolled his eyes.

“Can’t have you slacking off just ‘cause it’s your birthday,” he grumbled, and Ianto grinned.

“You remembered, I’m so touched,” Ianto replied, holding a hand over his heart. Owen huffed and shooed him out.

“Sod off, Tea-boy! I only remembered ‘cause it’s the one day where you’re out of my hair! Now get out, you stupid git!” Owen retorted. The small smile on his face took the bite out of his words and Ianto grinned back.

“Of course it is. Thanks Owen!” Ianto called over his shoulder as he hurried out of the kitchens.

The past ten years had been both amazing and awful. Ianto missed his family on a daily basis. He often wondered how they were doing. Jack helped him write and send several letters to his family, but they never responded. After two years, Ianto gave up. The other servants and Jack became his family. Amy, Toshiko, and Owen taught him the ropes of the 'castle kitchens' life. Donna became his mother figure, making sure he had manners and answering any questions about life he had. Jack became his best friend and his escape. For the past ten years, the two boys had been there for each other. Jack listened when Ianto described his bitterness towards the family who never responded, and in turn, Ianto listened when Jack explained the fears he had for his father and for the Realms.

The amount of monsters spotted outside the Realm gates were growing in numbers very quickly. King John made it mandatory for every adult in the castle to receive training in case there was an attack. Any child at or over the age of sixteen could volunteer to receive training if they wanted to. Because Jack's father was forced to fight, Jack wanted to fight too. Ianto was extremely afraid for his friend, but never said a thing to him. He didn't want his fear for Jack to stop him from following his heart. 

Ianto carefully made his way up the stairs with his platter. He tried to go as fast as possible without dropping anything or straining himself. Even after all these years Ianto wasn't very strong. He couldn't walk around and serve important guests at parties because he couldn't carry two trays on each arm. That was the highest ranking job available for a servant at the castle, and Ianto would never have the opportunity to go out and serve people who knew things. People who had seen things. He’d love to catch just a snippet of conversation from someone from another Realm. The things he could learn…

Ianto snapped out of it as he reached Jack’s floor. He slowed his pace and walked very calmly to the door. He straightened himself out and knocked politely. Not even a second had passed before the door swung open.

“You’re late.”

‘Of course that was the first thing out of his mouth,’ Ianto thought, mentally rolling his eyes.

“Whose birthday is it?” he asked, arching an eyebrow as he pushed past Jack. Jack snorted and shut the door as Ianto busied himself by putting all of the food into the basket.

“Whose father is best friends with the king?” Jack answered, flopping on the bed. Ianto glared.

“I don’t have to come here today, you know. I could be doing whatever I please with whomever I please,” Ianto retorted, and Jack grinned.

“But you came here on your special day because you love me. I feel so special,” Jack exclaimed, throwing his arms into the air. Ianto rolled his eyes and hefted the basket up onto his shoulder.

“Whatever. Get up. Let’s go.”

***************

“Grape me.”

Ianto tossed another grape in Jack’s direction. Jack caught it in his mouth and chewed on it thoughtfully. They were both sitting on the giant rock by the river slowly consuming the food Ianto had brought with him from the kitchen. Ianto had his nose in another book, and Jack was growing bored of watching him. Jack suddenly twisted to lie on his side facing Ianto.

“You’ll never guess what they’re starting to call me down at the training grounds,” Jack boasted, grinning in triumph when Ianto set his book down to focus on him.

Ianto swallowed the cheese he was nibbling on before answering, “A braggart?”

Jack shook his head, unfazed by Ianto’s sarcastic answer. “The Immortal. No one’s been able to keep me down. Even if they do get a good hit in, I just pop right back up. Two solid years of sparing and not a single opponent of mine could keep me down for ten seconds.”

Ianto glanced at Jack out of the corner of his eye. “You aren’t cheating by using your fancy gems are you?”

Jack looked scandalized. “Ianto! How could you think so low of me! I would never cheat!” He covered his heart with both hands, a look of fake shock on his face.

“Yes you would. You always cheat,” Ianto immediately replied. Jack deflated. He looked at Ianto like a kicked puppy, his lower lip jutting forward in a pout. Ianto rolled his eyes.

“Don’t look at me like that, you do,” Ianto retorted, before admitting, “but I’m sure you wouldn't cheat in a ‘professional’ competition. It would take away your bragging rights.”

A self-satisfied grin replaced the petulant pout on Jack’s face. “Yes, see, I knew you would see it- Wait a minute!” Ianto laughed loudly as Jack scowled at him.

Jack tried to sulk again, but Ianto’s rich laughter knocked the frown right off his face. He chuckled and leaned back on his elbows, waiting for Ianto to settle back down. Once the giggles had stopped, Jack pulled Ianto’s present out of his pocket. He held it up for Ianto to see.

“I got you a present this year,” Jack said a bit nervously. Early on, they agreed not to give each other presents because Ianto felt he would never be able to give Jack anything special.  Jack reluctantly agreed, not wanting Ianto to feel bad about his inability to buy or make presents for him.

Jack was relieved to see Ianto look more curious then upset. He handed the small box to Ianto, who took it almost warily. Jack chuckled a little.

“Don’t worry, it won’t bite you.” He teased, and Ianto shot him a half-hearted glare. He was clearly intrigued by the neatly wrapped box.

“Go on. Open it.” Jack pushed, his stomach alive with nervous excitement.

Ianto carefully undid the ribbon and peeled back the paper. He handed the paper to Jack before studying the little black box. He shot a questioning look at Jack, who only grinned back.

“Hurry up, the suspense is killing me!” Jack pleaded, and Ianto snorted, before opening up the lid. At first he looked confused. After a few moments though, realization dawned on his face and he froze. Jack was very pleased with his reaction.

Ianto very delicately touched the silver bracelet inside. “Is… is that…” he breathed, his heart pounding. Jack grinned, nodding his head.

“Yup! That’s a dynami gem.” Jack said proudly, and Ianto very nearly cried. He gently ran his pointer finger over the small red gem nestled in one of the beads of the bracelet.

“The gem for strength,” Ianto whispered, staring at the bracelet. Jack nodded, a softer smile on his face.

“It’s just big enough to give you strength to carry two trays on both arms. The bracelet is easy to conceal under a suit jacket, so you won’t break the dress code with it,” Jack said. He nibbled on his lip. “Do you… do you like it?” he asked, scratching the back of his neck. He was almost knocked off the rock when Ianto threw himself at Jack.

“Like it? Are you kidding me? I love it! Jack, this… this is… I can’t…,” Ianto stammered, squeezing his friend tightly around his waist. He suddenly looked concerned.

“But… I don’t know what I can get you that could even compare to this,” Ianto said, his brow furrowed. Jack chuckled and shook his head. Ianto was always thinking about others.

“Serve at my nineteenth birthday party. I’m sure seeing you so ecstatic will help me get through the questionings of a hundred old aristocrats. That’s all you have to do to repay me,” Jack told him, grinning. Ianto stared at him, before nodding firmly.

“I can do that. Oh, Jack, this is so amazing!” He squeezed Jack once more, before pulling back and staring at the bracelet. Jack laughed softly.

“Here, let me help you put it on.”

Ianto held out his wrist as Jack fiddled with the delicate clasp. After a few failed attempts, Jack was finally able to clip the two ends together. Jack sat back to admire his handiwork. Ianto felt his heart swell.

“You know, I was always afraid you were going to think I wasn't a man or something when we were younger. I thought one day I’d come by and you’d tell me to leave because I was too much like a girl,” Ianto admitted and Jack laughed loudly.

“Well, if you've got all the equipment…,” Jack wiggled his eyebrows at Ianto. He grinned when Ianto blushed and shoved him. Jack sobered a little.

“No, but in all honesty, being weak doesn’t make you ‘unmanly.’ And being like a girl isn't a bad thing either. Toshiko’s great and she’s a girl. Besides, you’re you, Yan, whether you’re manly or not.” Jack grinned.  “And that’s just how I like ya.” He leered. Ianto rolled his eyes and shoved his face away.

“Down boy, none of that,” Ianto scolded. He tried to come off as impassive, but he was touched all the same by Jack’s words. Ianto flopped down onto his back and stared at the sky.

“I’ll probably ruin your party somehow,” Ianto murmured. Jack snorted and put his arms behind his head.

“Then ruin it. As long as you’re there, it’ll be the best party yet.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who. This is unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine.

 

_Ianto Jones, 18 years, 7 months, 1 week, and 4 days old_

Ianto fiddled nervously with his cufflinks as he surveyed his appearance in the mirror. He twisted the bracelet around his wrist, rubbing his thumb unconsciously against the bright red gem. He prayed to the gods this worked. This was his chance to show the others he could work with them as an equal. He didn’t need anyone to help him carry something heavy down into the cellar or put something on the highest shelf for him anymore. He wanted to prove he was finally strong enough to do things on his own.

The others were very skeptical. How could a boy who had been weak all his life suddenly have the ability to lift all sorts of heavy things? Ianto told them Jack was helping him build up his strength and that in a few months, he’d be able to serve at his very first party.

Ianto lied to his friends to protect both himself and Jack. He imagined Jack could get in big trouble with his parents if they found out he was spending so much money on a servant. Ianto himself could be accused of stealing such an expensive piece of jewelry. It was best for all parties if Ianto kept his new found strength a secret.

Owen, despite being one of his good friends, was the biggest dissenter of any of the kitchen crew. The upcoming head of servants was known for doubting (very openly) any act he didn’t deem doable. That was most of them.

To see Owen’s look of disbelief when Ianto balanced two trays laden with expensive tea-ware on both arms was a bonus to his already golden “miracle.”

Ianto sighed heavily, twisting his head from side to side. He grunted when someone slapped him upside the head.

He glared reproachfully, rubbing the back of his head as Amy came to stand in front of him to fiddle with his bowtie. “Stop admiring yourself, you self-center git. You know you look wonderful and are going to simply woo this crowd.” She smoothed the lapels of his suit jacket down and smiled at him. Ianto rolled his eyes.

“You say that like I’m going to perform for them,” Ianto said, watching Amy circle him as she looked for any mistakes. She grinned at him in the mirror.

“Well you are! Little Ianto Jones as grown into such a handsome man, and I’m sure you’re going to parade that around!” she teasingly patted his bum and laughed when his ears turned bright pink. He shook his head, a small smile twitching at the corner of his mouth.

They both looked up as the tinkle of the servant’s bell cut through their light banter. Ianto suddenly looked panicked and Amy chuckled fondly. She gently patted his cheek.

“You’ll be fine. And you’ll have a ton of fun. Just go out there and be Ianto Jones, the suave butler-man. You fit that role very nicely.” She grinned and Ianto smiled back, relaxing a little. She pushed on his shoulders.

“Now go! You don’t want to be late for your first party, do you?” Amy smiled as Ianto shook his head, taking a deep, calming breath. He gave her a small smile, before hurrying out of their bedroom. Amy sighed at his retreating back.

“Gods, has it really been ten years? How time flies,” she said softly to herself.

*******************

Ianto nervously shifted from foot to foot as he stood in queue. All of the servants were lined up, ready to flood into the enormous dining room and wait on all of the fancy guests. Two heavy silver platters were balanced on each arm. He still couldn’t really believe it. He was by no stretch of the imagination strong, but now he wasn’t weak either. He really hoped serving at Jack’s party was enough to repay his friend.

He heard Owen chuckle behind him. “Quite that nervous shifting, mate, it’s making me sea sick.” Ianto glanced over his shoulder and grinned sheepishly. Owen shook his head before looking a little nervous.

“I’m, well… I’m sorry for doubting ya. It’s just… you’ve been weak for as long as I’ve known ya… it would’ve taken a small miracle to get you in this queue, and I still have no bloody idea how you did it,” Owen admitted, before scowling at Ianto’s grin.

“Toshiko and Amy put you up to it, didn’t they?” Ianto teased, and was delighted to see the ill-tempered servant flush scarlet.

“Piss off, tea-boy! That’s the last time I try and be a kind soul!” Owen grumbled, looking away. Ianto continued to grin.

“Don’t worry, Owen, I won’t tell anyone you were nice to me,” Ianto said in a stage whisper, and Owen was torn between looking angry and grateful. He scowled at Ianto, who laughed and turned to look towards the front.

The nerves suddenly came rushing back as the dining room door open. He tried to stand still, but found it was too difficult. He rocked a little, before beginning to inch forward in the queue. The closer he got to the door, the louder the rushing in his ears became. All his nerves were replaced by awe as he stepped into the dining room. He almost hesitated in is walking to take a better look at the dining room.

The huge table from before was gone, leaving a huge open space for the guests to mingle or dance. Pushed up by the sides of the wall were tables and tables full of rich exotic foods that made Ianto’s mouth water a little just looking at them. The chandelier lights were dimmed just a touch, but the drops of rainbow still slid over every inch of the room, giving every person a special colorful glow.

Ianto couldn’t help by gape and stare as he wandered around, politely stopping when people reached for something on one of the platters. This was better than he’d ever imagined it could be. He hadn’t even listened to any adventures yet! He started tuning his ear in to listen to the talk of the other Realms.

Across the room, Jack grinned as he watched Ianto glide around with a stupefied expression on his face. He remembers seeing that same look on Ianto’s face when he first saw the river and when he received the bracelet. He crossed his arms, very pleased. Jack was correct; just seeing Ianto enjoy himself this much made being here with people he didn't know bearable.

Jack flashed his trademark grin at Ianto when he looked up. Ianto perked up and grinned back, sweeping his eyes around the room before looking back at Jack.

‘He’s so excited. How can one person be so pleased by just this simple party?’ Jack thought as Ianto turned back around to head towards the kitchen, his platters empty.

“Gods, he’s beautiful,” Jack murmured, rubbing a thumb absentmindedly over his bottom lip as he watched Ianto’s arse disappear from his sight. Of course, Ianto was off-limits, no matter how gorgeous he was. Jack didn't want to risk his friendship with his sharp welsh man by confessing his attractions. That didn't mean Jack couldn't spoil him subtly, though. He was startled from his thoughts by a squeal emitted directly into his ear. He rubbed the heel of his hand over the abused ear, turning and mentally groaning.

“Princess Cooper! Looking as lovely as ever, how has it been in the Creatures Realm?” he asked politely, trying ever so hard not to glare at the perfectly manicured hand gripping his arm. The princess giggled and flipped her long black hair over her shoulder.

“Oh Jack, it’s Gwen, remember? We’re friends, you don’t have to call me using those formalities,” she said, batting her eyelashes and sinking her claws further into his arm. Jack grimaced.

“I only mean to show respect, Pri- Gwen,” Jack corrected, eyes wandering away from her. He caught Ianto’s eye from across the room. He had paused in his wandering to watch the Princess and Jack converse.

‘Help me,’ Jack mouthed when Gwen turned to wave at another royal figure. Ianto grinned deviously and shrugged, pointing towards his platters before turning his back. Jack growled.

“I’ll kill him. What are best friends for?” he grumbled. Gwen looked over.

“What was that?” Gwen asked, and Jack quickly plastered a grin on his face.

“Oh nothing, nothing, don’t worry about it. What were you saying?” Jack asked politely. Jack rolled his eyes mentally as Gwen launched into another story about how many baby creatures she had raised from birth.

‘Please, someone distract her,’ Jack thought as she explained the feeding process of a phoenix. He was a little worried she may try and take off with his arm she had her nails dug so deep into his flesh.

Jack picked up a flute of champagne and glumly wished it was something stronger. He was usually so good about avoiding Gwen, but one Jones, Ianto, Jones had had him distracted. Was watching his best friend’s arse worth getting his ear talked off?

Jack thought. Yes. Probably.

He was jerked from his musings when someone slammed into his back. Jack pitched forward, splashing champagne all down Gwen’s front. He was a little ashamed to admit he cheered a little inside.

“Oh, wow, I’m so sorry!” Jack exclaimed, and Gwen simply smiled tightly at him.

“No… no matter, I’ll just go get cleaned up,” she said, before swiftly making her exit. Jack heard a small snigger behind him. He turned around and grinned.

“I think that makes up for the bracelet, don’t you?” Ianto asked, arching an eyebrow. Jack was a little stunned. Seeing Ianto across the room was one thing. Seeing him not five feet in front of him was a whole other animal. He swept his eyes down Ianto’s form.

“I think so,” he finally said, before leering. “You look good enough to eat, Mr. Jones. Are you sure you aren’t part of the menu tonight?” Jack was pleased when Ianto flushed scarlet and shook his head fondly.

“That was awful,” Ianto said, wrinkling his nose at Jack. He gazed around the room, willing his stubborn blush to fade. Yes, Jack was a well renowned flirt, but Ianto was always startled when he turned his charm on him.

“Are parties always this… flashy?” he asked, changing the subject. Jack shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Depends on who they’re for. As you can see, I’m pretty popular,” Jack said, sweeping his arm around the place. Ianto rolled his eyes.

“Not really hard now is it, Mr. Immortal?” he asked, and Jack grinned.

“That’s a silly question, Mr. Jones; have you seen me lately?” Jack asked, gesturing to his body. Ianto arched an eyebrow. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

“Oh, I definitely have, but I’m afraid she looks a little left out,” Ianto answered, jerking his head towards Gwen, who was heading right towards them. Jack ducked.

“Crap! Cover for me!” Jack hissed as he scuttled away. Ianto tried not to laugh aloud when Gwen appeared not even a second later.

“Have you seen Jack Harkness? He was standing right here a minute ago,” she asked, her lips pouting a little. Ianto politely shook his head.

“No, Miss. Perhaps you should check with the other guests,” he suggested. “Now if you would excuse me.”

Ianto slipped from around her and headed off to the kitchen, all the while chuckling in his head.

*************

Everything was going so well, so unbelievably well.

Ianto couldn’t believe how fast that changed.

He was on his fifth round. Ianto hadn’t seen Jack again after his impromptu rescue, and was happily plodding around and listening to the other representatives of different Realms speak to one another.

Ianto suddenly caught movement in the corner of his eye. The doors that lead to the main hall pushed open just enough so that a small messenger could slip through. They headed directly to King John, who was speaking in hushed whispers to Queen Rose. The two looked up as the messenger approached. He murmured something to them, and the queen’s eyes widened and filled with tears. The king stared in shock, before taking the coat the messenger held out to him.

Ianto peered closely at the coat, wondering where he had seen it before. It looked expensive and official, and something about it lingered right in the back of Ianto’s mind.

Ianto watched the messenger leave the room quickly. The king turned and began looking around the room. He paused when he found the person he was looking for. King John slowly made his way across the room, unaware that Ianto had his eyes glued to him. Ianto’s heart sped up as the king stopped by Jack. He pulled the young man to the side and whispered something. Jack’s eyes widened and his mouth fell open. The king gently handed Jack the coat. Jack stared at the coat for a long time, before turning on his heel and fleeing, holding the long coat firmly to his chest.

Then it clicked for Ianto.

The long coat. The long blue coat Mr. Harkness was wearing when he came to pick him up from his family’s place. Ianto swallowed hard. It couldn’t mean…

The king grimaced, staring at the place Jack had been standing. He suddenly stood. Making his way to the center of the dining room, he shouted for silence. All of the guests turned to stare at King John, who looked very pale.

“I’m very sorry to announce that this party will have to come to a close early. Mr. Harkness isn’t feeling all up to a party at the moment, and if the birthday man isn’t here, there isn’t a point to the party. No questions,” he said, holding up a hand to silence the confused guests. “Please… just… just show yourselves out,” John finished tiredly, before turning and slowly making his way out of his room.

The dining room erupted into hushed whispers as the guest began to speculate about the “illness” of the Harkness child. Ianto had an idea; he just hoped it was wrong.

Ianto bolted into the kitchens, dumping his platters on one of the counters. He turned on his heel and ran back into the dining room, before shimmying out of the door to the main room. He ran all the way up to Jack’s floor, heart thudding painfully in his chest. He hammered on the door with his fist.

“Jack! Open up, Ja-,” Ianto was cut off as the door swung open violently. Ianto stared at Jack, taking in his red eyes and tearstained cheeks. His clothes were rumpled and he was clinging tightly to the long blue coat. Ianto felt tears prick his eyes. He had never seen Jack look so lost.

“Oh Jack…,” he murmured softly. Jack’s eyes filled with more tears at the understanding note in Ianto’s voice. Ianto opened his arms up, and Jack crumpled, flinging his arms around his friend and burying his face in his shoulder.

“He’s dead. Oh gods Ianto, he’s dead,” Jack sobbed into his neck. Ianto pet his hair gently and lead him into his room, his heart aching for Jack. He shut the door with his foot and sat Jack down on his bed. Jack leaned heavily onto Ianto, deep shuddering sobs wracking his body.

Ianto gently rubbed circles on his lower back. He remained quiet as Jack continued to sob into his shoulder, creating a wet patch on his suit jacket. Ianto didn’t care.

It was killing him to see Jack so torn up. He was always so bright and full of life. Ianto foolishly thought Jack could never be put into a state as low as this. He hugged his friend close as the sobs turned slowly into sniffles. Eventually, Jack was just sitting there, keeping his head buried in the crook of Ianto’s neck for comfort. Ianto brushed a soothing hand down his back, before starting to stand.

Jack made a strangled noise when Ianto tried to move away. Ianto put a calming hand on his arm, before kneeling down to undo his boots and take off his socks. He laid Jack back, before kicking off his own shoes and taking off his suit jacket. After laying both his tie and jacket over the back of a chair, he gently laid down beside Jack. Jack immediately moved up and pillowed his head on Ianto’s chest. A few solitary tears slid down his face.

“Did I ever tell you about Grey?”

Ianto tilted his chin down to take in Jack’s solemn expression. “No. You’ve never mentioned anyone named Grey,” he said softly, running his fingers through his hair in a soothing fashion. Jack let out a sigh through his nose.

“He was… he was my little brother,” Jack said softly, closing his eyes against the consistent ache in his chest. Ianto’s hand paused. A little brother? He suddenly felt very ill.

“He was so young. So full of life. Gods, Ianto, he was wonderful, and I loved him so, so much,” Jack whispered, his throat closing up again.

“He loved the outdoors. He always wanted to go outside of the gates, he always wanted to go see the other Realms, a bit like you, actually,” Jack chuckled wetly, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his hand. Ianto remained quiet.

“It was around a year before you came here, I think. My father thought it would be a good idea to show us the mines the king put up, show us how it worked. He told me to keep ahold of his hand. He told me not to let go,” Jack breathed, his heart thudding hard in his chest. Ianto gently ran a hand down his back.

Jack swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes shut. “It was fun at first. Grey loved seeing all of the different gems and equipment in the mine shafts. But then… something went wrong. A melt down or something. We were told to evacuate,” Jack’s breath began to speed up.

“I had his hand Ianto, I had it. I… I don’t know what happened. Before I knew it I was outside and he… he wasn’t… I didn’t…,” Jack’s story stuttered to a stop as fresh tears rolled down his face. Ianto pieced the rest together.

"Jack... you don’t blame yourself, do you?” Ianto asked softly, his eyes searching Jack's face seriously. Jack couldn’t look him in the eyes.

“I let go of his hand, Ianto, it was my fault he died. It’s my fault my mother’s fallen into this emotional hole she can rarely pick her way out of. That day you saw her, Ianto, was the first day she had been out of the castle in months. She was improving. And now… with my father gone…,” Jack fell silent. Ianto shook his head.

“Their deaths weren't your fault, Jack,” Ianto said gently, tightening his arm around his friend. Jack frowned.

“I should’ve been out on patrol. I’m ready. I should’ve been out there… but this stupid party… those stupid monsters...,” Jack trailed off bitterly, his fingers tightening on the long blue coat.

“Jack-,” Ianto started, but Jack cut him off tiredly.

“Don’t Ianto,” he said softly, throwing an arm over his eyes. “Just sit here with me for a little. That’s all I ask.”

Ianto, too willing to try and ease Jack’s emotional turmoil, nodded gently and continued to stroke his hair. It was a while before Jack finally drifted to sleep. Ianto made sure he wasn’t going to wake up before standing and tucking Jack under his covers. He carefully lined Jack’s boots up by his closet door before throwing his jacket and tie over his arm and heading towards the door.

Ianto turned back to look at Jack briefly before he left. The light from the hallway spilled over his face, illuminating the strong lines of his jaw and nose. Ianto couldn’t help but also notice the frown on his lips and the lines between his brows. He looked too old for his age. Ianto sighed softly, before gently easing the door shut and making his way back to the kitchens.

**************

Harold Saxon stood back, admiring his work. Lucy hovered by his side, giggling as their little prototype struggled into the air uneasily. It shifted and shuddered, its metal shell gleaming as it hovered in the air.

“Look at this, Lucy, we've made history,” the Master murmured, beaming as the metal sphere drifted around their heads unsteadily. Lucy nodded enthusiastically and clasped her hands together.

“I want to see their blades, Harry! Oh just think of all the destruction they’ll cause!” she cooed, hanging onto her husband’s arm and grinning. The Master threw his head back and laughed.

“Oh I do love you so, my wonderful wife.” He pulled her into a rough kiss, a violent clashing of tongue and teeth, before pulling away and pointing his black staff at the single metal sphere. “And just for that, I think I’ll spoil you a little.”

A thin stream of gold darted out and encompassed the silver sphere. It shuddered again and gave a very metallic squeak, before three silver blades slid out from the metal shell. The sphere suddenly laughed childishly, whirling more confidently around their heads.

“Oh the Master! We do so love the Master!” the sphere giggled, its blades spinning threateningly. Lucy gave an excited shriek and kissed her husband’s cheek. The Master grinned, eyes shining with insane glee.

“I will make millions of them! My beautiful silver army! The other Realms will never see it coming,” Saxon declared, flinging his arms out towards the sphere.

“Redemption day is coming, Lucy! All will bow before us, or suffer the consequences.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! These chapters seem to grow and grow! I really appreciate all the feedback I've been getting. It definitely encourages me to keep writing! Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who. This is unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine.

King John sighed softly as he finally finished the letter with a flourish of his feather pen. He pressed the heel of his palm against his eyes, sitting back and sighing. This was the letter to seal Ianto Jones’s fate. It was time to start the training.

He smiled tiredly as he heard his wife approach him from behind. He removed his hands from his face and watched her look over his shoulder at the letter. She turned her gaze to him.

“You’re afraid for him, aren’t you?” Rose asked him gently, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder as she picked up the parchment and ran her eyes over the words. She felt her husband nod and she smiled slightly.

“It’s for the best. You’ve done all you could to keep him safe this far. It’s time for Ianto to learn his place in the Realms. He’s our only hope, John. He’s the Hero.” Rose said softly, setting the letter down on the desk. John nodded, rubbing at his face. He knew confiding in Rose was a good idea; she was always there to screw his head back on when he got too overwhelmed with the business of the monsters and their lord and master.

“Yes, yes, I know, oh gods do I know, but he never asked for this, Rose. I feel so awful for everything. Taking him from his family. Making him serve in my castle… He’ll be so confused,” John murmured softly, staring at the glass box that held their Realm’s token. The golden light got dimmer every day now, it seemed.

Rose nodded, before kissing his head. “Then perhaps you should speak to him. Send this letter to the Dragon Realm explaining the situation, and then take a day off in the next three weeks to speak to him before they come to take him away,” she smiled reassuringly. “It may be a lot for him to take in all at once, but he’s an intelligent, stubborn bugger. He’ll make it and he’ll save the Realms. Everything will be alright.”

John felt soothed by her words. “Yes… yes your right. I’ll speak with him sometime before he leaves. Everything will be alright," he repeated. Rose smiled at him, before kissing his temple.

“Alright! Finish up that letter and pop on back to bed; I know you didn’t get any last night. I’ll make some tea to help you sleep; I bet you can't help but think about all the other stressful topics floating around in that big head of yours,” Rose said cheerfully, before heading for the door.

John looked indignant. “Oi! Whose head are you calling big!” All he got was a distant laugh for a response. The king chuckled fondly, before folding up his letter and sealing it with his family’s crest. He whistled for one of his messenger hawks. He attached the letter to its leg.

“You’re heading to the Dragon Realm, alright? Shouldn’t be too long of a trip, they are rather close. I'll tell Ianto when you return with King Alistair's reply,” John said softly, almost to himself. He stroked the bird’s chest fondly with two fingers, before allowing her to fly off out his open window. John leaned back again, staring at his ceiling.

He rubbed a hand over his mouth before murmuring, “Let’s hope Rose is right for your sake, Hero.”

****************

_Ianto Jones, 22 years, 11 months, 1 week, and 3 days old_

In another wing of the castle, as King John Smith struggle to come to terms with the unfair proceedings of one weak servant boy, Ianto Jones was preparing to confront his best friend. After watching Jack waste away for five long years, he had finally had enough. Servant or no servant, he was still his friend. And if he was fired, then so be it. He sighed tiredly.

The past five years had been difficult for Ianto, and it was mostly because of Jack.

After the night of Jack’s nineteenth birthday, Jack started to withdraw from Ianto. Instead of fortifying their friendship, it had created a chasm. More often than not, Ianto would approach Jack's room at noon, only to find a note that explained he was out on patrol or training new recruits. It saddened Ianto. He knew Jack was trying to bury his grief behind his new work. He knew it wasn’t working.

When he did get to see Jack, he was consistently stony. He was still grieving. He smiled less, and the smiles he did wear were fake and forced. He still put up a nice flirty façade around others, but Ianto could see right through it. He knew Jack was in there somewhere, but he was stuck, and Ianto had no idea how to help him.

Jack also began to wear his father’s long wool coat obsessively. Ianto had yet to see him without it since Jack’s nineteenth birthday.

A few months after Jack’s father died, Jack left on a year mission. That was quiet possibly the worst year of Ianto’s life. He was so terrified knowing his friend was out their putting his life at risk for the Realms. He was afraid Jack would do something stupid... do something to deliberately get himself killed.

Oh, but Jack came back; it just wasn’t his Jack.

This Jack was different. He was colder, more careless. Something had happened while he was away, or that's what it seemed like to Ianto. Several afternoons Jack would answer his door either steaming drunk or terribly hung over. Rumors of Jack’s continuous seduction of women and men alike floated around the castle. Ianto had troubles seeing the Jack he knew. Jake was trying to escape from something, and Ianto was to afraid to ask what it was. He didn’t joke anymore. He didn’t laugh or talk or sing or smile. He just was. He just existed. And it was killing Ianto.

He tightened his jaw and nodded his head, strengthening his resolve. He needed to be firm with Jack; he needed to get through to him because sometimes, Jack's eyes would clear, and they would beg him for help. He couldn't continue to let his friend flounder in the personal hell he had created for himself.

Ianto took a deep breath and opened up the door, stepping inside. He quietly shut the door behind him, mindful of Jack’s current drunken state. Jack didn’t react to his presence at all; he simply took another long drink of the bottle of alcohol in his fist and sighed, sinking further into his bed. His unresponsive expression caused Ianto to bite his lip with worry. He hoped this was the right thing to do. He set the platter to one side and came to stand in front of Jack’s bed. Ianto steeled himself and finally said the words he had been silently thinking for years.

“This has got to stop.”

Jack peered up at Ianto through swollen, blood shot eyes. Ianto stared down at him. Jack thought he looked quite cute but also quite silly when he was determined. He snorted as he ran his finger around the lip of the bottle. He took another quick sip before rubbing his mouth against the back of his hand.

“I have no idea what you mean.”

Ianto shook his head. He should’ve known Jack would act this way. Honestly, what was he expecting? “Jack, all of this has to stop,” Ianto said, gesturing around the room. “You’re wasting away. You have to realize this isn’t the way to deal with… with all of your grief,” Ianto said, his throat suddenly closing up so his words sounded slightly choked. Saying out loud made it all the more real.

Jack watched his friend. He didn’t pick up on how upset Ianto was in his intoxicated state. He rolled his eyes, a little irritated another person was trying to tell him how to behave and act. The king had visited often for the first year or so, begging him to snap out of it. He got tired of Jack’s attitude after a particularly bad day and never visited him again. He left Jack, much like his comatose mother, who had left him mentally when she discovered the death of another one of the men in her life. They always leave, they always forget him; everyone does eventually.

“Whatever. Some lowly servant like you can’t tell me what to do,” Jack replied, letting a touch of irritation show in his voice as he stretched his arms up and over his head. Ianto’s eyes widened, before narrowing slightly. Ianto couldn't believe he had just tried to use his rank to get one over Ianto. They were equals, they were friends. He bristled.

“Yes, well,” Ianto began in an angry voice as he strode over to Jack’s bedside, “this ‘lowly servant’ is trying to save your life.” He plucked the bottled out of Jack’s hand and swiftly approached the window they used to climb out to get to the river. He pushed it open and threw the bottle as far as he could. He dusted his hands off and turned to face his friend. He knew that was mute, seeing as Jack could simply order more from another servant, but he felt at least now he had Jack's full attention.

Jack tried to scramble out of his bed and run to the window, but he didn’t get far in his inebriated state. He stumbled a little, having to lean against one of his bed posts. Now he was beyond irritated. No one dared to touch his life-line like that. Jack narrowed his eyes.

“What did you do that for!?” Jack slurred angrily, his muddled blue eyes flashing with drunken fury. Ianto crossed his arms. He wasn’t giving up now. It was at this point Ianto realized how much Jack needed someone to snap him out of it.

“You need help. Not some bloody high from a drink or a body. I can’t watch you destroy yourself anymore,” Ianto said firmly, standing his ground even when Jack stumbled closer to get into his face.

Jack couldn’t believe this. Ianto of all people should understand what he was going through. Jack shook with anger. How couldn't believe Ianto had the audacity to try and tell Jack how to grieve for his family. What did Ianto know about loss?

“What the hell do you know? You have no right throwing my things out the window!” Jack shouted in his face. Ianto wrinkled his nose at the smell of alcohol rolling off Jack’s breath; he didn't think he'd ever get used to that.

“I have every right when you’re being such a stupid git,” Ianto retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Ianto knew this was getting out of control quick. He shouldn’t have insulted Jack, especially when Jack wasn’t in his right mind. Jack’s eyes narrowed further.

“Screw you! You won’t disobey me! You’re the servant! I’m the noble here! I make the decisions!” Jack snarled, his lips pulled back to bare all his teeth to Ianto.

Ianto paused to remind himself why he was here dealing with an irate Jack. He refused to lose his cool; Jack needed his help, and he didn't want to abandon him. He remained as patient as possible, even though he was boiling with frustration. “I come as your friend first, Jack. And as your friend, I’m making this decision to help you,” Ianto said calmly. It only seemed to rile Jack up further.

Jack wanted nothing more than to wipe that stupid calm look off of Ianto’s face. He couldn't understand how Ianto could behave so relaxed when they were arguing. Wasn't he even a little bothered that they were fighting? The idea that Ianto didn't care increased his anger.

“You wouldn’t even have the ability to throw that bottle it if wasn’t for me! I don’t need you, you need me! Look at this!” He snatched Ianto’s wrist up and roughly pulled down his sleeve. The silver bracelet glinted and glimmered in the light filtering through the now open window. Ianto tried to pull his wrist back, but even in his intoxicated state, Jack was stronger than him.

“Let me go,” Ianto said his voice deathly calm. This was spiraling out of his control. He didn’t want to hit Jack, but if he didn’t remove his hand...

Jack laughed in his face. “Or what? Are you going to hit me?” Jack taunted. “You can’t do anything without someone else! That’s why your family didn’t hesitate to send you here away from them! You’re useless! You amount to nothing without me,” Jack hissed, his fingers tightening around Ianto’s wrist. Ianto yelped in pain, before finally snapping. He refused to allow Jack to berate him for things he couldn't control about his family's situation.

“At least I have a family,” Ianto said coldly, his voice detached and subtly furious. He immediately regretted his words as Jack froze, his blue eyes widening in shock. This was not what Ianto had come here to do. He wanted to help Jack, not make it worse. Ianto stumbled to try and right his wrong.

“No, Jack, I didn’t mean-,” Ianto began, but Jack cut across him. He yanked Ianto’s wrist forward, pushing his face closer to Ianto’s.

“My family loved me. Can you say the same about yours?” Jack’s voice trembled with barely restrained fury. “How long has it been, Ianto? Fifteen years? And not a word. You may have a family, but they sure as hell don’t want you. Y'know, I’m not sure how _anyone_ could want to be around someone like you. You don't deserve this or anything else for that matter,” Jack snarled, before wrapping his fingers around the bracelet and pulling on it roughly. The clasp broke, and silver beads went flying, raining down around the two friends.

Ianto stared at Jack, his lips parted slightly. He was stunned. He had expected Jack to get angry, but he never imagined it come to this. Was that really what Jack thought of him? He didn't know anymore; that wasn't his Jack. Ianto wondered if his Jack ever existed. He gritted his teeth against tears of frustration, guilt, and hurt that suddenly cropped up in his eyes. He wouldn’t cry. He had brought this on himself.

Jack stared right back at him, his chest heaving as he caught his breath. He felt a jolt of satisfaction when Ianto looked stunned. There, not so calm now, was he? He didn't want to believe Ianto would say something like that. He loved his family, and missed his father and brother dearly. Jack hope he had startled Ianto.

The satisfaction suddenly wasn’t as sweet to Jack when his slow, addled brain registered the shine Ianto’s eyes took on.

Jack’s eyes cleared slightly, his anger dissipating quickly. He was suddenly mortified by his actions. The death grip on Ianto’s wrist lessened some as Jack realized what had just passed between the two of them. As soon as Jack’s grip on his arm loosened, Ianto tugged his wrist free and pushed past Jack without saying a word.

“Ianto wait-,” Jack pleaded; he sounded the most sober he had in a while. Jack hadn’t meant a word, and he was sure Ianto hadn’t either. Why couldn’t he keep his mouth shut? Ianto was just concerned and he had basically attacked him.

Ianto turned around sharply, his hand on the doorknob. Jack swallowed hard at the look of turmoil and pain painting Ianto's features.

“I’m done trying to help you. I just wanted you to be yourself again. I wanted you to be happy. That’s all Jack. I understand now that it's hopeless if you don’t want to help yourself,” Ianto said softly, shaking his head. He had tried, he really had. If Jack didn’t want his help, Ianto wasn't going to make him take it. He turned, opening up the door.

“Ianto! Ianto don’t you dare leave now! Ianto-”

Ianto slammed the door on Jack’s demands and hurried down the hallway, expecting Jack to follow him at any moment. But the door never opened, and Ianto didn’t slow his pace once, no matter how out of breath he was when he got back to his rooms.

He ignored the questioning looks from the kitchen servants, and when Amy and Toshiko came in to talk to him, he asked them to leave him alone to think.

That confrontation couldn't have gone any worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was tough to write. I rewrote it so many times, and I'm not sure how it came out. I'd like to hear what you thought about it. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who. This is unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine.

_Ianto Jones, 23 years, 0 months, 0 weeks, 0 days old_

Ianto did not want to get up.

For once, he wanted nothing more than to hide in his bed all day.

He had gotten no sleep last night. Any sleep he did manage to snag was plagued by the whispering voices that appeared every birthday of his. Ianto turned on his side, facing the wall, and shut his eyes against the world.

It had been nearly three weeks and he hadn’t dared to approach Jack’s room

Ianto knew he needed to apologize for all he said to Jack. He went over the line with his quip. He, however, also felt familiar anger and hurt boiling in the pit of his stomach. He expected an apology from Jack too; they both had fault in this. All he had wanted to do was help.

The things they had said to each other were so hurtful, and Ianto could not believe he would ever say anything like that to Jack, especially when the man was having troubles grieving for his destroyed family. How could Jack ever forgive him for that?

Hiding his sudden loss of strength from his friends was also adding to his guilt. He felt humiliated and ashamed when he had to make up pitiful excuses as to why he couldn’t haul a sack of flour across the room or serve at the next party. (Amy was right; he really was quite a hit after his first night.) He had escaped so far, but he was sure he couldn’t keep up the lie for much longer.

Ianto was broken from his painful musings by a timid knock on the door. He shut his eyes quickly, pretending to sleep, praying that whoever was at the door would leave him be to wallow in peace. His birthday just wouldn’t be the same knowing Jack was here in the castle but most likely hating him at the moment.

He heard the door ease open and he quickly adjusted his breathing so it sounded deeper. He heard a fond chuckle behind him.

“You know, mothering three kids gives me the power to know when you’re faking.”

Ianto sighed in defeat, twisting to face who had walked into the room. Donna approached him, a grin on her face. Ianto couldn’t help but notice how much older she seemed. The training was really wearing her down. His adoptive mother was still going strong, though. Her fierce spirit just didn’t seem to break, and made her such a valuable asset to the castle’s growing civilian militia.

“I suggest you get up now. Someone wants to see you.” Donna said, throwing back his covers. Ianto yelped and turned away petulantly.

“I really don’t want to see anyone today Donna. It is my day off, you know,” Ianto said, burying his face in his pillow. Donna swiftly wacked him on the shoulder and crossed her arms when Ianto turned and glared at her.

“You are turning twenty-three today, young man! You should start acting like it now!” Donna said, pegging Ianto with a piercing glare until he moved to get dressed. “That’s better,” she said triumphantly. Ianto rolled his eyes with a small smile as he got up.

“I suppose it’s better if I get up now anyways. Sulking won’t get me anywhere. Who wanted to see me, Donna?” Ianto asked as he slipped his shirt over his head. Donna grinned at Ianto’s back.

“It’s the king.”

Ianto paused, his fingers poised over the third button of his shirt. The king? Ianto began to slowly finish doing up his shirt. What could the king possibly want with him? Ianto felt wary. The first and last time he had spoken to the king had been in that corridor all those years ago. He felt his gut twist uncomfortably; he had a very bad feeling about this.

Ianto knew it would be a bad idea to ignore this, no matter how much he wanted to push it away. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew this would come up with the king again. King John’s warning was too ominous, to threatening. After those voices starting popping up on his birthdays, Ianto knew he had all the more reason to fear an unknown threat. Yes, he had known that the situation was far from over; he just really liked denying it.

Ianto finished buttoning his shirt. “I suppose I should go see him then. I’d hate to disappoint the king,” he said, turning with a small half smile playing on his lips. Donna visibly relaxed.

“Good. I don’t want you sulking around this place like a ghost. Go ahead and go talk to him. I’ll have Amy whip you up something nice to eat for your birthday,” Donna said sweetly, patting his arm as she walked to the door. “You should be on your way here any minute now. He came here really early this morning expecting you to be awake!” Donna chuckled, opening up the door. “I told him you’d pop on over at around one. Good luck, Ianto.” She gave an encouraging smile, before exiting their room.

Ianto huffed a sigh through his nose as the door shut with a soft click, running his fingers through his hair. He searched his head for some way to avoid this meeting; seeing the king today was the last thing he wanted to do. In the end, he knew it was inevitable. It was the king after all. The king was way, way, way above Ianto, and he didn’t want to risk his position here in the castle because he felt like sulking over an argument that had occurred three weeks ago.

Ianto stood and straightened his suit jacket. Yes, he would go and see the king today, and hopefully get some answers to his questions about the whispering in his head.

Filled with a false sense of bravado and courage, Ianto swung open the door… and proceeded to deflate. This was just what he needed.

Jack.

Ianto tensed, staring at his friend. Jack stared right back, just as surprised. Jack recovered first. He tugged at his collar, shifting on his feet.

“Ianto! Just the man I wanted to see!” Jack exclaimed, a large grin on his face. Once again, Ianto could see straight through the sparkly mask. He didn’t answer Jack. Instead, he watched the man closely. He appeared a lot better compared to how he looked a few weeks ago when Ianto had last spoken to him. His face was actually shaven and Ianto couldn’t detect any trace of alcohol on his breath or clothes. The only things that hadn’t really changed were his eyes. They were still bloodshot, and dark circles clung like shadows under his tired eyes. Ianto chewed on his lip; he could only hope that meant what he thought it did.

He decided to get back on topic. “What do you want, Jack?” he asked quietly, unconsciously smoothing down the lapels of his suit jacket. Jack followed the movement with his eyes, before flicking the blue orbs back up to meet Ianto’s.

“Can we talk?” Jack asked, far more subdued and less like himself. Ianto hesitated, peering into the servant’s quarter’s hallway. He could see a few maids peering out of their doors to catch a glimpse of the attractive noble, and Ianto flushed a little. He did not want his potential argument with Jack to leak into the servant’s steady stream of discussion topics. Ianto ran his eyes over Jack’s nervous form and nodded quickly. Jack relaxed immediately.

“Not here,” Ianto muttered, stepping past him and leading him out of the servant’s quarters through the back exit the king had shown him all those years ago. Jack followed quietly, shuffling his feet as he walked. Ianto smiled fondly to himself; Jack never really learned how to pick up his feet. Ianto schooled his expression into a more serious one before he turned around to stop Jack.

Jack barely stopped himself from running into Ianto when the Welshman turned suddenly. Jack took a few steps back and averted his gaze away from Ianto’s expecting eyes. He shifted his feet, stalling to savor Ianto’s nearness after being away for so long. His fingers twitched by his side; he wanted nothing more to run his fingers down his face and confirm that this wasn’t just some silly dream. He was afraid if he looked directly at Ianto he would do just that.

Ianto, on the other hand, got straight to business. He kept in mind that he had a meeting with the king, one he assumed he shouldn’t be late to. “So, you wanted to talk?” Ianto asked, crossing his arms and effectively putting a barrier between him and Jack.

Jack sighed. He rubbed the back of his neck, before deciding to dive right in. “I did a lot of thinking after you left. For a little bit, I was really angry at you; I thought I never wanted to see you again.” At that Ianto winced and Jack smiled weakly. “But then, I sort of realized you only wanted to help. I began to look back on how I’ve treated all of the people who tried to stand by me when my life suddenly went to hell. And gods, Yan, it was such a wakeup call.” Ianto cocked his head to the side, waiting for Jack to continue.

Jack glanced up at Ianto. “I just… I wanted to apologize, for… for what I said, before… you must know I didn’t mean that,” he said softly, wringing his hands almost. Ianto’s eyebrows rose. Jack was rarely nervous or unsure of himself. Sad, yes; serious, yes; angry, hell yes, but almost never nervous, and yet, here he was, the Captain himself reduced to ashamed awkward glances and shifting feet. The last time Ianto had seen him filled with so much angst over a situation was when he was giving Ianto his gift. He soften slightly.

“Of course I know that, and… you weren’t the only one at fault, I said things I didn’t mean, and it probably hurt a lot,” Ianto said, flushing with shame as he recalled their conversation. Jack stiffened slightly and Ianto chewed on his lip. “So, I’m sorry too,” he said, looking at Jack. "Truce, alright?"

Jack looked relieved, nodding, and for the first time in months (years), Ianto saw him smile a genuine smile. He felt his heart flutter with joy; perhaps Jack was slowly recovering.

Ianto smiled back. “So, how… how have you been?” Ianto asked cautiously; Jack looked better, but he wanted to make sure he wasn’t going to go off the deep end again. Jack sighed, running a hand through his hair.

He let out a breathless chuckle. “It’s been hard. A lot of times I wanted to visit you sooner, but I was worried you’d still be upset at me. I started speaking to the king. He and my father were good friends, and he was consistently trying to help me in the beginning.” Jack smiled slightly. “He’s helped both with the grief and how to deal with it. I’m… I’m feeling a lot better, thank you Ianto.” He said softly, smiling a little.

Ianto looked confused. “Thank me?” he asked, his brows furrowed with confusion. Jack laughed.

“Well if you hadn’t tried to set me straight, I doubt I would be well on my way back from the brink. Like I said, thank you,” Jack repeated, smiling at Ianto’s embarrassed flush.

“I’m your friend Jack, you don’t have to thank me; I’d do it again in a heartbeat.” Despite Ianto’s kind words, Jack still felt a small sting; friends, gods how he hated that word. He shook his head, before he remembered a big reason as to why he chose to see Ianto today.

Jack suddenly shoved his hand in one of his many coat pockets and pulled out the bracelet he had destroyed a few weeks prior. Ianto arched and eyebrow and Jack had the decency to look a little ashamed.

“I hate that I broke it; I know it was something you really liked, so I had it fixed for you… I’m sorry I broke it. You do deserve it,” he said, holding the bracelet out. The silver jewelry looked brand new, and Ianto smiled a little.

“A gift to seal the truce I see,” Ianto said, obediently holding out his wrist. Jack chuckled.

“Well, it is your birthday, after all,” he said, finding the clasp easily. He let his fingers linger over the skin of Ianto’s wrist, his eyes drifting up to meet Ianto’s. Ianto smiled at him, this one a bit different from his usual coy half-smile. He seemed genuinely happy to be in his presence. Jack felt himself fall a little more for Ianto, and he knew exactly what he wanted to do to this handsome Welshman. As he studied Ianto's face, he realized he couldn't torture himself any longer with this pent up feelings of his. He sighed through his nose.

‘Oh I’m really, really going to regret this,’ Jack thought, before pushing his thoughts aside.

“Ianto,” Jack said quietly, keeping his eyes focused on his face. Ianto looked up from the bracelet he was admiring, a bit confused.

“What is it Jack? Is something wrong?” Ianto asked, his brows furrowing. His eyes widened when Jack suddenly took another step forward, crowding Ianto back against the corridor wall. He tried to take a step back to counter Jack’s bold move, but his back immediately hit the brick. His heart suddenly started to pound, and his mouth went dry. He flushed when Jack raised a hand and laid it on his jaw. Yes, Jack was a flirt, but he'd never... never gone this far with him!

“Jack?” he asked, his voice hushed. Jack’s eyes bore into his and his smell was making Ianto dizzy. His eyes flickered to his lips and he was suddenly hit with the very powerful urge to close the distance between them. He'd never felt this way about Jack, or anyone else for this matter. Wasn't this wrong? Jack was a man after all, and his friend... How would that affect them? Ianto found he couldn't concentrate on rights and wrongs right now, not with Jack so close to his face. His breathing sped up when Jack leaned forward…

A loud explosion that shook the castle caused the two men to spring apart. Ianto was confused for a moment, and felt a strange mix of relief and disappointment at the sudden noise. Both turned to terror as soon as another explosion rocked the castle.

“What is it?” Ianto asked, watching the blood slowly drain from Jack’s face.

“I-,” He was cut off by the sound of a door slamming open. Both men whirled around to face King John, whose face was just as white as Jack’s. In his arms he held a glass case with a dimly glowing stopwatch inside and a scroll.  His face darkened when he spotted Ianto. He ran towards them.

“Ianto, you need to leave right now, the castle is under attack,” John said firmly, his hands shaking a little. Ianto looked confused.

“Sir, why would I leave? If the castle’s under attack we need all the help we can get,” Ianto said, turning to look at Jack. His face was grim and he was resting his hand on his gun. Ianto turned back as King John started muttering to himself.

“I knew I never should’ve waited… Listen Ianto, I don’t have much time to explain,” John said quickly as he handed the scroll to him. Ianto took it and jumped when another explosion followed my screaming echoed through the castle. John opened up the glass case.

“Take this Ianto. You are destined for so much. You are our Hero. I don’t have any time to explain. I need you to go back to my room, wait for Suzie and her dragon. They’ll be here any minute. They’ll take you back to the Dragon Realm. Once there, ask for King Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart. He will explain everything,” John said hurriedly, pushing the stopwatch at Ianto. Ianto’s head spun.

“But, sir-,”

“Now, Ianto! Take it and go!” the king snapped. Ianto quickly snatched the stopwatch out of the case. He gasped as his skin tingled where he touched the silver metal. It flared bright white and he heard whispering in his head. He stared at the face of the stopwatch, which had stopped suddenly.

_Hero. Hero._

He was snapped out of his daze by a push on his shoulder. He looked back at Jack, who was steadily pushing him towards the king’s rooms.

“Go Ianto, you heard what he said, you have to go!” Jack said firmly, his face grave and serious. He frowned when Ianto shook his head stubbornly.

“What about you Jack, you can’t expect me to leave you here!”

John grew impatient as the two began to bicker. This wasn’t the time or the place! Then it dawned on him. The Immortal… perhaps...

John was well aware of Jack's standing in the ranks. His nickname was well known, and John felt like smacking himself in the head. Perhaps the Immortal wasn't actually an Immortal. That made so much more sense. He straightened out his thoughts before turning back to Jack, making a decision. 'Even if I'm wrong, at least Jack will be out of immediate danger,' the king thought a bit selfishly. 

“You go too, Jack,” John said quickly, his eyes widening as he heard the explosions and shrieks sound off closer. He saw something silver flash by the window, followed by insane, childish giggling. He shuddered with terror. He could tell Jack was about to argue.

“Jack! I need someone to look after Ianto, please, go with him, he’ll need you,” John said. He wasn’t completely lying; Jack was very important to Ianto’s destiny. Jack looked resigned. He didn’t want to abandon his king, but more importantly, he didn’t want to leave the man who took him back in after all he had said to him. He didn’t want to leave the man who was helping him get over his father’s death. Jack saw the understanding in king John’s eyes and he swallowed a sudden lump in his throat.

“Doctor…”

 All three men jumped as the window down at the end of the corridor suddenly broke, and two little spheres darted through. King John’s eyes widened. They were out of time.

“Go, go, go! Don’t let go of that stopwatch or that scroll! Go now, both of you, quickly!” he shouted. He knew he was unarmed (never really believed in weapons) and would most likely die, but he wasn’t important, those two were. He was relieved when he heard two sets of footsteps running away from him. He shut his eyes as the spheres grew nearer…

*************

Jack slammed the door shut behind them, sticking a chair underneath the door handle. He rested his forehead against the door, willing himself to keep it together. He was a soldier, a Captain even! He needed to remain calm and grieve later; his top priority was Ianto. He turned back as Ianto began to panic

“I can’t believe we left him there! He’ll die, Jack!” Ianto shouted his face paler than usual. He knew the king was unarmed. How could they just leave him there?

Jack snarled, fear and sadness making his tone sharp. “He ordered us to leave Ianto. Something is going on that’s bigger than us. He is our king. We obey him until the very end, do you understand me?” Jack asked his voice and face tight as he pushed past Ianto and looked out the window.

Ianto shuddered. He couldn’t believe this was happening; all of this was happening so quickly. What about his friends and family? They were down there in the kitchens, giving their lives to try and protect the castle. What was he doing up here about to fly off on a dragon? He buried his face in his hands. He had never felt more useless.

Jack turned and to check on Ianto. He softened when he saw how upset the man was; perhaps he shouldn’t have been so harsh. Ianto must be thinking about what was happening down in the kitchens. He was losing his whole family again. Jack’s heart ached with both of their potential losses.

He was about to walk over to comfort him when a screech cut through the sky. He looked out the window and sighed in relief when he spotted a red splotch approaching them on the horizon. Ianto quickly joined him by the window clutching the two items given to him closely to his chest. Jack noticed that Ianto had schooled his features into a more serious mask and sighed internally. He knew they’d have to speak later about a whole lot of things.

They both shielded their eyes as the red dragon neared, its wings pushing air into the room and their faces. Ianto couldn’t help but be amazed by the size of the beast. Its head was large and horned, and two cat-like green eyes were nestled in its skull on either side of its long red snout. The dragon’s underbelly and throat were a beautiful pinkish color; the rest of its body was a brilliant fiery red. Its scales glimmered and its leathery wings were nearly see-through in the direct sun light. Having never seen a dragon before, Ianto was impressed.

 The dragon lowered itself until its back was level with the windowsill, allowing it’s rider to remove her metal helmet to speak with the two of them. Her long, curly brown hair spilled out from her helmet and settled around her shoulders. Her eyes were dark and serious, the eyes of a warrior. The warriors of the Dragon Realm were well known for their discipline and fighting skills.

“Suzie?” Jack asked tersely, and the rider nodded, one hand holding the brown saddle attached to the dragons back. She looked between the two of them.

“Are you Ianto Jones?” she asked, her eyes sweeping over Jack’s ridged form. He shook his head and pointed next to him.

“That would be him,” Jack said, before pushing Ianto in front of him. “Let’s chat later, we have to get out of here now,” he said, grimacing as the door behind them suddenly shuddered. Suzie nodded, and put her helmet back onto her head. She beckoned for Ianto to step forward.

Ianto looked out the window and the ground below and froze. Jack knew this wouldn’t be good; Ianto was terrified of heights.

Knowing he would most likely pay for this later, Jack hopped up onto the windowsill before pulling Ianto up to stand beside him. He clutched at Jack’s arm as he motioned for Suzie to lower her dragon. Suzie nodded back and turned her full attention to her dragon.

“Oi! What are you doing?!” Ianto shouted as Suzie began to lower her dragon further. He prayed they weren’t going to jump; seeing Jack's face, he knew that was a very strong possibility. Jack gave him a crazy grin.

“Getting us out of here of course,” Jack replied with a wild laugh, before he jumped out the window, pulling Ianto off with him. Of course they had to jump. Behind them, the door burst open, and three spheres made their way into the room. Ianto didn’t get a chance to shriek before they landed on the back of the red dragon. He gasped in the air that had left his lungs, clutching the items to his chest.

“You alright,” Jack asked, and Ianto glared. Jack’s grin of amusement born from adrenaline faded, his eyes suddenly widened, and he pushed Ianto’s head down. Ianto felt the hair on his head rustle as something zoomed by him. Ianto stared at the retreating sphere.

“What are those things?” he asked, and Jack shrugged, his hand already reaching for his gun. He knew those thing were trouble. He wondered if they were a new kind of monster. Ianto looked behind him at the castle and felt his heart sink. There was smoke rising from several of the windows and one side of the structure was caved in. Ianto chewed on his lip, willing himself not to break down, no matter how much he wanted to. His family… they were somewhere in there.

Suddenly, the dragon dipped, and Ianto shouted as Suzie nosedived and swung back around, speeding  towards the castle.

“What are you doing?!” Jack yelled over the roaring wind. Suzie turned to look behind them.

“They’re herding us back to the castle. I can’t get by them without compromising the Hero and the token,” Suzie shouted back, dodging more of the silver spheres. She had no idea how to get out of this one. She could see the silver spheres beginning to close in on all sides, their childish voices giggling incoherently. Something suddenly clicked in her mind, for her eyes brightened abruptly.

“Push the button!” she shouted at Ianto, gesturing to the stopwatch. Ianto looked confused. Now was not the time to be mucking about.

“What?” he shouted back, and she grew impatient.

“Push the stopwatch button! Hurry!” She yelled, making a hard right. Praying Suzie wasn’t completely out of her mind, Ianto pressed the button on the stopwatch.

Jack shielded his eyes as the stop watch suddenly flared a brighter white than before. Suzie veered left and Jack cried out as Ianto tipped sideways off of the dragon’s back. He reached out to catch Ianto’s shirt, but Suzie suddenly shot upward. Jack’s eyes widened as he watched Ianto fall towards the ground. He turned back to scream at Suzie to catch him, when there was a pulse and a rush of air to his right. Jack stared as Ianto rose passed them, further and further up into the sky.

Ianto was oblivious to his surroundings. All that existed for him was the stopwatch and the voices.

_We aid you Hero. Save us. Save us._

He watched the stopwatch’s hands twirl faster and faster around until they blurred together. Ianto’s eyes widened. The stopwatch froze, before firing a beam of white directly into his chest. Ianto gasped, before his vision faded to black.

Jack watched as Ianto suddenly threw his head back, his arms and legs spread out wide. He wasn’t screaming, no, but his lips were parted and his eyes were wide open. Jack gasped at their abnormal color; they were completely white.

The spheres that had stopped their chase floated around Ianto with spinning blades. They really wanted to please their Lord and Master, and they knew that to do so, they would need to kill the Hero. One particularly eager sphere dove forward, and that was all it took.

A beam of white shot out and hit the sphere. Then another beam appeared. And another. The beams made not a sound, silently picking off the creatures one by one. The spheres began to shriek and flee. The beams followed. They zigzagged and arched through the sky, swirling and zooming around the castle, eliminating every sphere like creature the token could detect. The beams suddenly began to retract back to their power-source: Ianto.

Jack watched with terror and awe as the white began to dim. Ianto shut his eyes again and the white began to filter into the bracelet on his wrist. The bracelet flashed bright white, before turning bright gold. The stopwatch face clasped in Ianto’s hand suddenly cracked, and the spell was broken. Ianto began to plummet out of the sky.

Jack held on tight as Suzie dove to catch Ianto. He landed with a hard thud on the dragon’s back, and Jack scrambled to keep him on top of the dragon. He pulled the unconscious form towards him, quickly wedging him between him and Suzie. He clutched Ianto back to his chest, nodding to Suzie, who was quiet as she observed the Hero. She gave a quick nod back, before turning back and beginning away from the destroyed castle.

Jack took one last glance back at the smoking remains of the castle, before facing forward. He looked down at Ianto in awe, and if he was quite honest with himself, fear too. He gently ran his fingers through his hair and sighed heavily.

“Oh gods. How am I going to explain this one to you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this felt a little rushed or stilted! I was having some difficulties with the flow of this chapter. Hope it was alright! Thanks for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who. This is unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine.

Jack kept his arms firmly wrapped around Ianto for most of the trip. Whatever had happened to him had left him out cold, and Jack didn’t want him sliding off the back of the dragon. He sighed softly, his thumb gently rubbing circles into his stomach.

“This all went to hell pretty quickly,” he murmured, the fingers on his other hand gently touching the now gold bracelet on Ianto’s wrist. Had it really only been a few hours since he had put the once silver bracelet back where it belonged? He shook his head, his hands dropping away from the glowing jewelry.

Jack shifted once more, trying to ease the numbness in his arse. He hoped it wasn’t much longer. He was extremely tense, and he was a bit sore from the ride so far. Not to mention how confused he was. He wanted answers, and when Ianto awoke, he knew he’d want answers as well. His heart lurched. Ianto. What had happened to him?

That was a question that frequently crossed his mind as the ride progressed. His eyes flickered up to rest on Suzie’s back. How had she known what to do to get Ianto to suddenly light up like that? If the Doctor hadn’t told them explicitly to go with her, Jack would’ve never hopped on this dragon, especially not with Ianto. There was something about her that sent shivers of unease down Jack’s spine. Her dark eyes and serious, almost blank face made her hard to read, and that made Jack nervous. He was usually so good at getting a read on strangers, but she seemed completely cut off from her emotions.

‘Must be a Dragon Realm thing,’ Jack thought, absentmindedly pulling the unconscious Ianto closer to his body. He hadn’t met a lot of folk from the Dragon Realm. The only person he ever really spoke to on a semi-regular basis was Hart, and while he was as flirtatious and cocky as Jack himself, he had a darker, more sinister side as well. Jack shuddered as he remembered some of the things John had done to get answers on their year-long mission. Hell, some of the things he himself had done during that year. He shook his head.

All of those towns… burning, just like the castle… Jack scrunched his eyes up.

Jack didn’t want to think about the castle in flames behind them. He needed to focus on Ianto, on keeping him safe. ‘Not in a completely selfish way,’ Jack defended to himself, looking back at the scroll and the stopwatch. ‘He’s obviously important to the Realms…’ He was curious as to what the scroll held, but each time he tried to take it from Ianto’s hand, his fingers only tightened around the parchment.

Ianto sighed in his sleep, causing Jack to start a little. He chuckled fondly, resting his forehead on Ianto’s shoulder and sighing. He listened closely to the sound of Ianto’s steady breathing and found a strange sort of peace wash over him.

‘At least he got out alive,’ Jack thought, a little bit guiltily. So many innocents had most likely died in the destruction of their castle, and all he could think was how grateful he was that Ianto was still alive, and with him none the less. How had things changed so quick? He shut his eyes, remembering how just a little while ago, he was finally going to taste those full Welsh lips…

Jack opened his eyes as Ianto shuddered in his arms. He pulled back and loosened his grip as Ianto jerked awake rather violently. One of his hands flew to his head, before quickly gripping the arm around his waist. His other hand clutched the scroll and stopwatch to his chest.

“Jack?” he asked tightly, his head throbbing painfully. He kept his gaze straight in front of him, focusing his eyes on the back of Suzie’s helmet. So this wasn’t just a crazy dream. The castle had fallen, the Realm was being destroyed, and he was on a dragon, hundreds of feet in the air. His fingers tightened on the bluish-gray sleeves of Jack’s greatcoat.

“The one and only,” Jack replied cheekily as he leaned forward to hear Ianto better. Ianto dug his fingers into his sleeves.

“What happened?” he asked, turning his ear towards Jack, still steadily ignoring the ground whizzing by beneath them. “I remember pressing the stopwatch button and then… nothing,” Ianto said, looking down at the stopwatch in his hands. There was the bright light and the whispering. He turned the stopwatch in his hands over and cocked his head to the side. The glowing was gone now, and there was a crack in the glass. His brows furrowed.

“Jack, wha-,” his repeated question trailed into a yelp when Suzie’s dragon dipped. She looked over her shoulder.

“We’re going to take a quick break before we get there; she’s getting a little tired,” Suzie called back at them as she gently stroked her dragon’s head. Ianto nodded, and fell silent, deciding to wait till they landed to try and interrogate Jack further.

Ianto squeezed his eyes shut as the dragon neared the ground, expecting a jolty, abrupt landing, and was surprised when the dragon landed lightly on the ground, its red wings still spread wide. Suzie hopped right off, Jack following gracefully, while Ianto continued to sit atop the red dragon, wary of jumping down. Jack tried not to laugh at Ianto’s panicked expression.

“Come on, hop down, I’ll catch you if you stumble,” Jack called, grinning up at Ianto. The Welshman rolled his eyes in response.

“Oh, my hero,” he muttered, before swinging his legs over the side of the dragon. He squirmed a little bit, edging his bum off the saddle, until he slipped all the way off. Caught by surprise, he stumbled a little when he hit the ground, but Jack’s immediate firm grip on his upper arm saved him from pitching forward.

Ianto straightened, trying to maintain his dignity, and Jack laughed at his flustered face. Ianto shot him a glare as he smoothed down his suit jacket. He quickly turned his gaze to Suzie, who was leading her dragon to a small tree. Ianto glanced around, scoping out his surroundings.

Suzie had landed them on a small ledge sticking out of the side of a rather large mountain. ‘Oh yes, we're getting close to the Dragon Realm alright,” Ianto thought, tilting his head back to look up towards the peak of the mountain. There were was a little vegetation, and a solitary tree, which Suzie and her red dragon were now resting under. They looked awfully worn out. Ianto turned back to Jack.

“How long was I out for?” Ianto asked as Jack stretched out his arms and legs. He rolled his neck, making a pleased noise at the satisfying popping sound.

“Errm, a few hours, I think,” Jack replied. Ianto looked a little surprised.

“A few hours? What happened to me?” He asked, rubbing a hand over his face. Jack looked unsure.

“Um… I don’t actually know… that’s something you’ll have to ask King Alistair when we get where we’re going. You heard Suzie, not much longer,” Jack replied, rubbing the back of his neck. Ianto nodded, gently chewing on his lip.

“And the castle? What happened to the castle?” Ianto asked, his voice suddenly urgent as the imagines of a castle in ruins flooded his mind. Jack looked away, not wanting to face his friend when he admitted they ran.

“We don’t know. When we left, those spheres were all gone, but the castle was still in flames,” Jack said quietly, his mind supplying the images in his head. Ianto looked on, terror and grief quickly clouding his features.

“They… you just left? Again? If the spheres were gone, why didn’t you go back and help?! There could’ve been… been survivors!” Ianto demanded, his thoughts immediately turning to the kitchens. Donna was back there, and Tosh, and Owen. Gods, Amy was making him breakfast. Tears welled up in his eyes and he had to blink to keep them back.

Jack watched Ianto fight the panic and grief that was boiling up inside of him. He frowned. “How would we have helped them, Yan?” he asked gently, willing Ianto to listen to him. “We have one dragon, that’s it. We also had to get you out of there; the king said-,” Jack began, but Ianto cut across him, his hands shoving Jack on his chest.

“I don't care about the bloody king! My family was in there! Gods, Jack, you could’ve done anything! Anything but flown away!” Ianto hissed, getting into Jack’s face. “Why did you let Suzie leave? Why were you being such a coward?” Ianto snarled, his fingers curling into fists. Jack’s eyes narrowed.

“I’m following my orders. I trust the king and his directions. He ordered us to go with Suzie to the Dragon Realm, so that’s what we’re doing,” Jack said, his voice deathly calm. “You are not the only one who lost someone in there today, so don’t you dare call me a coward. I wanted nothing more than to go back, but you are more important. Do you understand? The king wanted you out alive for a reason bigger than either of us. I’m sorry for what’s happened to your family, but don’t try and make it out like you’re the only one suffering,” he finished frostily, his blue eyes flashing. The Doctor had been there, as well as the living body of his mum.

Ianto’s eyes widened, before he looked away, thoroughly chastised. Shame made the tears well up faster. “You… you’re right. Gods, I’m an idiot,” Ianto mumbled, angrily brushing aside tears that were now clinging to his lashes. “You were doing as you were told; I’m sorry for being such a stupid git. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I just don’t know what to think,” Ianto said in a hushed voice, his chin dipping towards his chest.

Jack softened as the fight left Ianto’s body. He quickly engulfed the smaller man in his arms. “It’s okay, I’m sorry too. We could’ve gone back, we just chose not to. I was afraid, Ianto,” he confessed, pulling back to looked at him. “You were unconscious and I didn’t want to risk losing you too by going back there on a poorly thought out rescue plan,” he said softly, his large hands framing his face.

Ianto felt that little spark again as Jack cupped his face in his hands. He was suddenly reminded of their little run-in in the hallway that after noon and his face flushed. Jack’s eyes bore into his and he swallowed hard as he felt Jack’s thumb swipe soothingly down his jaw. Ianto quickly pulled away and turned his back, tugging his coat further around himself.

“Right, no need to apologize, what’s done is done,” Ianto said firmly, his face still flushed. He didn’t know what was happening to him. He had never had this issue with Jack before, but this was twice in one day. He was feeling such a strong attraction to Jack, one he’d never felt before, and wondered when this had happened.

‘Doesn’t matter, it’s not going to happen. Jack is a man, whatever that was, it wasn’t attraction,’ Ianto told himself firmly as he fixed his gaze on Suzie, who was now lovingly stroking the snout of her red dragon.

Jack sighed. He was curious as to why Ianto continued to pull away from him. Jack was thrilled to see the attraction and lust in the Welshman’s eyes when Jack pulled him close. He wasn’t so thrilled, however, with the uncertainty of Ianto’s feelings. He let out yet another exasperated sigh, knowing right now wasn’t a good time to push it anyways. Ianto was grieving, hell, he was grieving right now. Whatever was going on now would have to wait.

Ianto ignored Jack as he came to stand beside him. He instead focused on the scroll and stopwatch in his hands. A thought occurred to him.

“How did Suzie know to push the button on the stopwatch?” Ianto wondered aloud, gently pushing to button on the top down. Nothing happened. Jack shrugged his shoulders, taking the subject change in stride.

“I don’t know, I was thinking the same thing. Maybe you should ask her,” Jack suggested, plopping down on the ground and reclining back onto his elbows. He squinted up at Ianto.

Ianto rubbed his lip with his thumb absent-mindedly, before nodding. “Yeah, I think I will,” he said, making his way over to Suzie. Jack shrugged, before flopping all the way onto his back and throwing his arm over his eyes. He’d rest his eyes a little; the adrenaline had wore off and he was getting tired.

Ianto, on the other hand, was on a mission. Suzie knew something; he could tell in the way she watched his every movement. Even now, Ianto could tell she was watching him approach out of the corner of her eye. Her body was tensing the closer he got, and her soothing touches to her dragon’s snout were steadily coming to a stop. When he was only a few feet away, Suzie finally looked straight at him, her dark eyes intense. Ianto tried not to back down at the fierceness of her gaze.

“You knew about this,” he said, holding up the cracked, dull stopwatch. “How did you know this was going to happen?” he asked almost warily. Suzie surveyed him quietly for a moment, before turning her face back to her dragon.

“Read about it. I did a lot of research about the tokens of the Realms. Always fancied I’d be the Hero,” she said softly, her fingers brushing the scales reverently. Ianto’s brows furrowed.

“Tokens?” Ianto questioned, taking a seat on the ground in front of her. “The Hero? What are you going on about?” he asked, putting the scroll and stopwatch down in front of himself. Suzie looked at him with scorn.

“You’ve never heard of the Prophecy? What rock have you been living under?” Suzie asked, a touch of contempt in her voice as she ran her eyes briefly over Ianto’s poorly-made suit. Ianto felt his ears burn, but stayed silent as Suzie began to talk again. She seemed very eager to discuss her findings.

“I suppose that’s not important right now. The tokens, however, are very important. There’s one for each Realm; one for the Dragon, Gem, Water, Fire, Harvest, Creatures, and Metal Realms. There are rumors there’s even a token for the Dead Forest, or the Lost Realm as some like to call it. Supposedly the person to find all eight will be given powers similar to the ones of Gods,” Suzie said, her eyes sparkling. It made Ianto a little uncomfortable.

He shifted. “Okay, what does that have to do with this stopwatch?” he asked, watching Suzie as she picked it up in her hands. She studied it for a moment, not answer Ianto, before her eyes flickered to his wrist. Ianto followed her gaze and let out a small gasp.

‘When did my bracelet turn gold?’ Ianto thought, pushing the sleeve of his suit jacket up to expose the jewelry. Suzie chuckled a little, leaning over to inspect the glowing beads.

“So that rumors true then,” Suzie said, sounding very satisfied. Ianto grew a little irritated.

“What it is?” he asked, trying to keep his tone calm and collected; he was sick off all these little hints and riddles. Suzie’s lips lifted slightly as she picked up his wrist.

“The token from the Realm of the Gems is very important. It’s said to be the most powerful and potent of all of the tokens. The Realm itself is pretty important, considering what it’s got hiding under its surface,” Suzie said, a ghost of a smile on her face. “They say each token has a sort of mind of its own, but the Gem’s token is the only one that can transfer its power to another object on will. It’s a sort of defense mechanism. The token attaches to an object of sentimental value of the owner, something they know the owner will never part with,” She paused, looking up at Ianto, who was still lost. She rolled her eyes.

“Come on, Jones, think, I know you have it in you,” she said, holding his wrist next to the stopwatch. Ianto stared at the bracelet and the stopwatch, before his brows furrowed.

“Wait, you aren’t saying…,” Ianto murmured, his forehead scrunching up. Suzie nodded eagerly.

“When you pushed the button on the top of the stopwatch, you were asking the token to move. It doesn’t listen unless it’s in the hands of its rightful owner. That’s you Ianto Jones,” she said, tilting her head to the side. “I’ve heard it’s been passed down for centuries, always changing shape and form, and now here it is, sitting right there on your wrist.” She grinned, all teeth. “Pretty cool, hmm?”

Ianto chewed on his lip. “What happened to me after I pushed the button? All that light… what was it?” Suzie shrugged.

“I don’t know about that, King Alistair might know, you’ll have to ask him,” she said. “I do know that you’re the new owner of the token for the Gem Realm, but that’s it.”

Ianto stared at the cracked stopwatch and the bracelet. He looked back up at Suzie, dumbstruck. Suzie’s grin only grew. He shook his head hard, fingering the stopwatch. This was crazy. There was no such thing as tokens certainly, and even if there was, how was he, some poor boy from a pub in an even poorer village supposed to own such a valuable thing?

“No way, I’m just a, a servant, a weak servant... I'm not supposed to own this… this token… if I even believe that much,” Ianto said, and Suzie shrugged.

“I agree, but, now you’re stuck with it that form until you pass it on... well, unless someone powerful enough comes along and sucks the power right out of the token. But I doubt that, there’s only one man who tried that, and he’s been gone for a while now,” she leaned back on the tree and shut her eyes. “I’d keep that hidden under your sleeve if I were you. People are always on the lookout for the tokens.”

***********

The Doctor hit the ground hard as he was thrown into the cell next to his wife. He crawled over to her still form and pulled her head into his lap. He checked her breathing and pulse, relieved to find both steady and strong. He grimaced at the dried blood clinging to the left side of her face. He glared up at the man in the doorway.

The Master grinned. “Beautiful wife you have, John, it would be a shame if something worse was to happen to her,” he said nonchalantly as he leaned against the door frame. The king gritted his teeth as he continued to stroke his wife’s hair.

“Don’t you touch another hair on her head,” he said coldly, his rage and sadness boiling just under the surface. The Master clapped his hands together.

“Ooh lovely! You still have a little fight left in you! I destroy your castle and send my obedient monsters to take over your Realm and you’re still fighting! How cute, so very, very cute!” He said happily. “Oh I’ll have fun crushing it out of you, but enough of that.”

The Master’s face grew colder and he crouched, grabbing John’s face in his hands. “Now, where are the Hero and your token? I know he was there at the fight; he destroyed all of my Toclafane; I’ll have to start from the beginning now,” the Master said with a sickly sweet voice, his fingers tightening on the Doctor’s jaw. John remained silent. The smile on Saxon’s face slid right off, his lips curling up in a snarl.

“Don’t test me now, Doctor, my patience is wearing thin. You'll tell me right now where the Hero is, of suffer,” the Master growled. King John remained silent. The Master watched him darkly for a moment, before he snarled and pushed John’s face away from him, standing sharply.

“You’ll regret this, _King._ I thought you were smarter. Maybe a little guilt will loosen your tongue. When she awakens, I’ll send her down to Lucy. She so loves to try her sharp little toys on ones who will beg for their lives. Such a shame it had to come to this, Doctor, and after I gave you so many chances to tell me,” The Master said, his lower lip forming a mocking pout before he turned and slammed the metal door shut behind him. The lock clicked into place.

The king listened to the Masters footsteps fade before he turned back to his wife. He ran his fingers through Rose’s blond hair and shuddered, pulling her up into his arms. He pressed small kisses to her hair. For moment he wished the Toclafane had killed him when they first spotted him instead of calling the Master to him; this was so much worse.

“I’m so sorry. Forgive me. Oh gods, Rose, forgive me.” John clung to his wife. “Hurry, Hero, please hurry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you're all still enjoying!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who. This is unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine.

For the rest of the trip, both Jack and Suzie were fairly quiet. Suzie wouldn’t answer any questions about the prophecy, letting him know it would be easier for the king to explain. Ianto knew better than to push to well-trained woman, and allowed the subject to lie.     

As soon as they were back up in the air, Jack decided to settle down and take a quick nap. He was up for most of the night waiting for Ianto to wake up, and both Suzie and Ianto could tell the captain was drained. Ianto was pleased that the man decided to try and get some shut eye before they arrived. He managed to keep a hand on Jack’s long greatcoat, a little afraid he would fall off. He knew that if he did fall, Suzie would catch him, but he couldn't help but worry.

Ianto also wished Suzie could get more rest as well. When he asked the young warrior if she wanted to sleep a little while they were landed, she brushed his suggestion off. 

"We're trained for this sort of thing, don't worry about me, just take care of him and let me get you to the Dragon Realm," she had said shortly, still gently stroking her dragon as she rested by the  tree. Ianto decided Suzie took great pride in her work, and didn't appreciate him trying to tell her what she should do. He could understand that; he sometimes felt that way when it came to serving.

So, here was was, mushed between two silent individuals, one asleep, one simply concentrating. Ianto loved comfortable silence, but at the moment he wanted something to keep his mind off of the destruction behind him. He mustered the courage to observe the landscape at they flew by, hoping that would keep him distracted. He had never seen anything like the frozen lakes and towering mountains. After seeing the same things all of his life, he couldn’t believe he was here, flying away from the castle on a dragon with his best friend sitting behind him.

‘Do best friends usually make you feel that way?’ Ianto thought, his face coloring. He knew he shouldn’t be thinking of Jack that way, but since the man had come so close to kissing him twice, he couldn’t help. He had never really thought of Jack like that before. Well, not seriously, anyways. Of course, Jack was handsome, Ianto knew that, but he never thought the man would be remotely interested in him. He was, after all, simply a servant. Perhaps subconsciously, Ianto had always been wildly attracted to a certain Captain Jack Harkness, but too afraid to acknowledge it...

‘That isn’t important right now,’ he told himself stubbornly, cutting off his thoughts. He didn’t think the fact that his entire family was most likely dead or dying was sinking in yet. He hadn’t really grieved for his adoptive family, and he felt mostly numb when he thought about it. No feelings about the subject were really registering for him. He rubbed a hand over his face. Maybe that was a good thing for now.

The sun was rising up over the mountains by the time Suzie broke her silence.

“We’ll be landing soon, you might want to wake your friend up,” she called over her shoulder as the dragon began to lower in altitude. Ianto nodded and turned slightly in his seat, too afraid he’d lose his balance if he was to move more. He shook Jack’s left arm gently, trying to rouse him without causing panic. Jack’s eyes shot open, and he tense for a moment, before seeing Ianto’s relaxed posture and settling again.

“She said we’ll be there soon. Suggested I wake you up,” Ianto said, watching Jack run a hand through his rumpled hair. His captain grinned lazily at him and stretched his arms up, his thighs gripping the sides of the dragon to keep himself balanced. Ianto felt himself blush as he got an eyeful of the muscle bunching up in Jack’s legs, and turned quickly to face the front. Jack’s soft chuckle behind him let Ianto know he had been caught, and he cursed himself quietly.

“Sleeping on these things are uncomfortable, as amazing as they are to ride on,” Jack said in his ear, his hands settling securely on Ianto’s waist. The young Welshman grew flustered, but was determined not to show it as the clouds began to thin and little houses seated on the ground began to appear.

“You sure do know all about this riding business, don’t you?” Ianto asked, his hands flying to Jack’s wrists as the dragon gave a jerk. He heard Jack chuckle dirtily in his ear.

“Well, I have had plenty of practice. I could teach you a thing or two about riding if you ask nicely,” he purred in his ear, grinning when the Welshman stiffened in his arms. He laughed, shutting his eyes against the wind as the dragon continued to sink down through the air. He loved riling Ianto up, especially when it was just so easy! He relaxed his grip on his friend minutely, leaning away from his back

“Relax, Yan, you don’t want to go see the king all hot and bothered, do you?” Jack asked, and grinned his cheeky grin when Ianto turned and glared at him. The intimidation factor was lowered considerably as he gave an unmanly squeak as the dragon finally and came to a stop on the ground.

Suzie hopped down, removing her helmet and tucking it under her arm. She was directly followed by an unsteady Ianto, who was clutching the scroll and stopwatch almost reverently now. He refused to allow himself to fall into another one of Harkness’s little traps. He could practically feel the man smirking behind him as he dismounted the dragon. 'Arrogant bastard,' Ianto though sourly, his arms crossed over his chest.

Ianto was abruptly pulled his focus away from the man standing behind him and directed his attention to the man fast approaching with a swaggering stride. There was a cocky, self-satisfied smirk on his face and his outfit was just as flashy as Jack's with his bright red vest and golden ropes. The long sword at his hip and long brown boots did nothing to help his case. Ianto grudgingly admitted the man's face was attractive, though the look in his eyes was obscene. He stiffened slightly when the man stopped in front of him and Suzie.

“Suzie! You brought friends! And such delicious ones at that,” he winked at Ianto, who felt his cheeks redden slightly under the leer. What was it with these flashy men and their lecherous qualities? Suzie rolled her eyes, and Ianto felt Jack shift uncomfortably behind him. The man’s eyes moved past Ianto after a heart beat and rested on Jack. His face lit up.

“Well, if it isn’t Jack Harkness! I haven’t seen you in a while! When was the last time we saw each other? Oh right, that mission,” he grinned dangerously. “That was a good time, wouldn’t you say, Jack? I'm a little hurt you haven't tried to contact me since our time together.” The man pouted prettily, and Jack’s jaw tightened slightly, his eyes narrowing to slits. He didn’t respond to the man; he simply crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared. Suzie flexed her hands beside Ianto, preparing to break the two men up if they began to fight.

Ianto was a tad bit confused; the tension was palpable and deeply rooted. What did the man know about the time Jack was away? Why was Jack so unhappy to see this man?

“Who are you?” Ianto asked, suppressing a shudder as the man turned his gaze to his. He saw Suzie turn her head out of the corner of his eye and felt Jack take a step forward, nearly plastering himself to Ianto’s back.

The man’s eyes flickered up and caught Jack’s. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to Eye-candy here?” he asked, the smirk growing on his lips. Ianto looked scandalized, and Jack felt a growl rumble in his throat. Despite his urges, Jack managed to refrain from socking the grin of the man's pretty face. He instead, painfully, played along. This was John’s turf; for now, Jack would appease the cocky bastard.

“Ianto, meet Captain John Hart. Hart, Ianto,” Jack replied through gritted teeth, still unbelievably tense. Ianto’s brows furrowed.

“How do you know each other?” he asked, his body language wary. 

 “We were partners,” John jumped in before Jack could open his mouth. Ianto’s hear sank a little, even though he promised himself he wouldn’t concern himself with Jack right now.

“In what way?” Ianto couldn’t help but ask, wanting Jack or John to deny what he was thinking.

“In every way,” the captain replied, a lewd look on his face. Ianto stared, before lowering his gaze, embarrassed for asking. To be perfectly honest, Ianto was more offended Jack had never mentioned anything to him before. Then he remember exactly how Jack had behaved for the past five years and sighed. No wonder he was never aware enough to tell him what had happened on his mission. John grinned in triumph, before it faltered at the look of murder on Jack’s face. Suzie stood still for a moment, feeling the building tension before she broke it by laying a hand on Ianto’s arm.

“We should get you settled into your rooms. Talking to the king when you’re both so tired will do you no good. I’ll let the king know what happened at your Realm and I’ll try and get some of our people sent out there,” Suzie said, shooting John a glare as she turned to face him. “As you can see, Captain, we aren’t smuggling anything into the Realm, we’re free to go.”

John ran his eyes over Ianto’s form. “I’m not sure, Suzie, a more thorough examination might be in order,” he said with a lecherous look in his eyes. Both Suzie and Jack let out a huff of air, before the female rolled her eyes in exasperation and took Ianto’s arm roughly.

“We’re going John. Goodbye,” Suzie said irritably, tugging on Ianto’s elbow and leading him away. Jack stiffly walked around John, going out of his way to stay as far from him as possible. The captain grinned, watching the trio walk towards the towering castle.

“This is going to get interesting.”

*****************

After disappearing from John’s sight, Suzie released Ianto’s elbow. “Sorry, I just can’t stand that man. He’s such a slimy bloke,” she said with a scowl. She breathed in deep, before relaxing and smiling slightly at the two men. She turned her back abruptly. “But I suppose you’re more concerned with your sleep. We have two rooms across each other for you to stay in. I’m sure that will be alright.” Ianto and Jack both hummed in agreement, and she nodded her head once, before moving along.

She entered the castle and immediately veered right, no longer checking to see if the two men were following her. Ianto hurried after, still embarrassed for questioning Captain Hart’s involvement with Jack. It was honestly none of his business, no matter how curious he was. Jack, however, knowing exactly what game Ianto was playing, was having none of it, and caught up to the young man with ease.

“So, the Dragon Realm. What do you think of it so far?” he asked with a short clap, hoping to ease some tension that was created from their run in with bloody Captain John Hart. Ianto glanced over at him and smiled slightly, almost uncomfortably.

“I don’t know yet. I’m too tired to really look at the differences,” Ianto admitted, scrubbing a hand over his face. He just wanted to sleep off the past few days. Even thought he was unconscious for a good half of the trip, he still felt drained. He wondered if that was because of the token. Jack watched him carefully for a moment, before smiling.

“Well, I guess I’ll have to show you around after we meet with the king. You were always talking about how much you wanted to see other Realms, and well, here it is,” he said, the easy grin still on his face. Ianto cocked his head to the side, before smiling a more genuine smile.

“I’d like that, I think. You're right; I’ve always wondered what it’d be like in other Realms,” Ianto said, his sense of excitement already building up in his gut. Jack grinned confidently at him.

“It’s a date, then,” he said, winking at Ianto. The other man began to splutter just as Suzie came to a stop outside of a door. Ianto came to an abrupt stop and stared at his feet, the tips of his ears glowing. Jack grinned in a more private fashion; seeing Ianto struggle with his attraction towards him was both  extremely amusing and extremely endearing. He saw Suzie smirk slightly.

“Your rooms are right across from each other. You are to meet with the king tomorrow morning at seven, so I suggest you both get some sleep,” she shot them a pointed look and Jack beamed back, a leer on his face. Ianto, if possible, grew even more uncomfortable, and scrambled for a way out.

“Right… erm, thanks, we appreciate it," he paused to smile briefly at Suzie, before he jumped back into discovering an escape route. "I’ll just…,” he scooted around Suzie and quickly  fled into his room, the scroll and stopwatch almost hampering his escape by nearly falling out of his hands. Jack and Suzie shared a sort of fond look of amusement as the inexperienced man scrambled for the door, before Jack grew serious. He smiled at her with a genuine, grateful smile

“Thanks,” he said simply, not one known for his words. Suzie, however, seemed to understand the length of his gratitude, for she nodded, a secretive smile smile dancing in her dark eyes.

“Just doing my duty, sir. Now, if you would excuse me, I have some other things to take care of,” she said, gently easing past Jack before striding down the corridor, her helmet still tucked under her arm.

Jack watched her disappearing back for a moment, before looking at Ianto’s door. He really didn’t feel like leaving Ianto alone in this new Realm, despite being only a room away. The whole thing that happened in the Gem Realm made him wary about abandoning the young servant, but he was aware Ianto wouldn’t appreciate his hovering. He instead tore his gaze away fromt he door and turned, heading straight to his own room.

***************

It hit Ianto in the middle of the night.

He bolted straight up in his bed, his heart pounding. He glanced around hurriedly, praying that it was only a night terror, but knowing that wasn’t the case. He choked back a sob.

They were gone. They were all probably dead. His second family. The burning castled flashed in front of his eyes again and he shuddered, suddenly feeling suffocated by the darkness surrounding him in this strange new place. He knew he was beginning to panic. He could feel a cold sweat beginning to bead on his skin and he shuddered in his bed, willing his racing heart to settle. He knew what he wanted right now. Scratch that, what he needed. He climbed out of bed, untangling his feet without tripping, before he swung the door to his room open.

He scuttled across the hallway and knocked on Jack’s door, his other arm wrapped around himself for security. He shivered in the cool corridor, his head spinning slightly as he bit his lip, trying to keep it together. The door opened almost instantaneously. Jack looked like he hadn’t slept a wink, but his irritated gaze quickly softened when he took in Ianto’s disheveled, lost appearance. He didn’t say a word, he simply let Ianto in, before pulling him into hug.

Ianto couldn’t help but sob uncontrollably when Jack finally put his arms around him. He had been so afraid Jack would've found him showing up at his door in the middle of the night a nuciance, and was so relieved to find his friend was here for him. He knew he wouldn't be able to calm down without someone familiar here with him; without Jack here with him. He cried harder at the thought.

 Jack knew at this point, Ianto would be inconsolable, and led him gently to his bed. He settled himself down, before pulling Ianto up onto his chest. Jack was glad Ianto was still able to come to him after all that had happened between them over the past few months... or years. This sudden change in their lives allowed them both to understand that the argument they had all those months ago wasn't important anymore. They had to be there for each other always; they were friends first, after all. Jack had been such an awful friend for those years after his father's death, and he knew it was his turn to be there for Ianto, who was loosing his family all over again. Jack gently stroked his friend’s hair as Ianto sob into his shoulder, his fingers tightening on his night shirt. n

Jack felt Ianto steadily let out the initial wave of anguish and panic. His tremors began to ease, and his breathing evened out into a more steady rhythm. Jack could still feel Ianto's body convulse with little after-shock sobs, but for the most part, the young man was simply crying silently now.

"Oh g-gods Jack... they're... they're dead," he whimpered quietly, his heart slowing as he breathed in Jack's smell. He drew comfort from his friend's arms in both a familiar, gentle way, and in an increasingly intimate way. He found he didn't actually care. He knew Jack was here for him; that was all that mattered. He squeezed his eyes shut against the ache.

"It hurts... so much, Jack. Does it ever stop?" he asked quietly, a few stray tears leaking out of his eyes. Jack sighed gently and pressed a small kiss to his hair.

“It will always hurt,” Jack said softly as he tilted his head back to stare at the ceiling. “But I promise it’ll get better with time.”

Ianto didn’t trust himself to speak. Instead, he burrowed his nose into his friend’s neck and sighed, trying to will away the lump that was beginning to block his throat again. Ianto almost laughed when he realized how similar this situation was to what happened to Jack when his father died. This time, however, Jack was taking care of _him_. Ianto was beginning to feel better now, not perfect, not great, but better. He was a lot less afraid of the unfamiliar room and a lot more comfortable with Jack then he had been by himself in his own bed. His eyelids suddenly felt very heavy to him, and although he resisted, he could already feel sleep dragging him down

Jack continued to gently sooth Ianto with gentle touches until the young man drifted into an unsettled sleep. He knew they still had a long way to go, but this was a good start. Jack shifted slightly to get more comfortable before shutting his eyes. Jack honestly thought Ianto was taking it better then he himself ever had. Sure, Ianto yelled at him when they had landed the dragon, but he had kept it together for the most part until this moment. Ianto was tougher then Jack had ever realized. He chuckled to himself, pulling the blankets up over their bodies, before settling himself down and relaxing his body.

He didn’t think he’d get any sleep, but he knew he’d have a better chance now that Ianto was here and he could keep an eye on him through the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to actually set up a uploading scheduled. I'm going to start posting once a week and spacing out my writing so I don't overload any of you guys. Thanks for reading!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who-. This is unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine.

Ianto woke up cradled in warmth from an unknown source. He didn't want to open his eyes; he imagined he was a young child again, and Amy, as embarrassing as it sounds, had climbed into bed to cuddle him when he had nightmares

And then it came rushing back to him. No, he wasn't young anymore. He was twenty-three. His home had just been burned to the ground and he was in a different Realm.

And he was in Jack's bed. Which meant...

The hand combing through his hair paused as Ianto shifted. He suddenly caught a whiff of the strong smell Jack always permeated the air around him. The large hand resumed its stroking after he relaxed back into Jack's embrace. Ianto's head was pounding and his eyes felt puffy and sticky from the meltdown he had had last night. They remained glued together, making it almost impossible to open his eyes up. He felt himself flush with embarrassment. He really had made quite a fool out of himself, hadn't he?

Despite his growing mortification over his actions last night, Ianto found he didn't want Jack to know he was awake. He was embarrassed to admit he was enjoying staying snuggled up innocently with Jack. This way, he didn't have to take responsibility for his actions around the other man, as cowardly as that was. He just wasn't used to all of... this. He had no other word for it.

Ianto lost track of time as he laid tangled up with Jack, who had not once stopped his soothing combing, absorbing the warmth and comfort that was Jack Harkness's embrace.  

He waited a little longer, before he knew it was time to rise. He was well aware that he had a meeting with the king that morning, and wanted to dress appropriately. That took time.

Ianto stretched his arms up slowly, yawning slightly as he turned and buried his face in Jack's clothed chest. The other man chuckled fondly and swept a hand down his back. He was very much aware that Ianto was awake and had been for some time. He let it slide however, content with the fact hat Ianto hadn't been horrified by their position despite his apparent attraction to him.

He gently shook the Welshman, giving Ianto a quick out. The man totok the opportunity and worked it as best as he could. He finally opened his eyes and glazed blearily at Jack's face. Jack felt his breath catch as he locked eyes with the adorable man. Even with his face all swollen from crying and his hair in a mess, he was the most beautiful man Jack had ever seen. He shook himself and smiled down at him.

"Well, good morning sleeping beauty! Feeling better today?" he asked, pleased when Ianto didn't immediately pull away. The Welshman smiled slightly and nodded.

"Thank you, Jack, I really appreciated what you did for me last night. And... and for staying with me," he said softly, a small smile on his face. Jack grinned back.

"Well, it is my room..." the man laughed when Ianto hit him on his chest, glaring slightly. "Okay, okay, I know what you meant. And trust me, I had no problems staying in bed with such a handsome man; who would?" Jack smirked as Ianto rolled his eyes, pushing off and away from Jack.

"You're incorrigible," he huffed, shuffling away from his friend. Jack laughed, smiling confidently.

"But you love me for it," Jack winked and Ianto flushed slightly as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. Jack's smile suddenly softened and he sat up, leaning back on his elbows.

"I do mean it though, Ianto. It was no problem. I want you to feel comfortable approaching me when you're upset, or even when you're excited," he suddenly rubbed the back of his neck, looking uncomfortable. "I know I haven't really been there for you for these past few years, and I just... I want you to know that I'm here for you now. When you need me, okay?" Jack asked softly, raising his gaze to meet Ianto's.

Ianto stared at him in shock for a moment, before he nodded, a smile on his face. "Thank you, that means a lot to me," he said quietly. "And the same goes for you. You might've been a stupid git for the past few years, but you're still one of my best friends," Ianto said, turning his body to face Jack. Jack grinned at him, before suddenly  leaning over and brushing a light kiss of his friend's lips.

Ianto's face immediately flamed, and he looked stunned. He opened his mouth to ask why exactly Jack had done that, when the man placed a finger on his lips. His blue eyes twinkled with mirth.

"Shhh. Don't worry about it now. We have to be in the King's Court in thirty minutes," Jack grinned mischievously at him, before pulling his hand back and clapping them together. 

"Right! Now get yourself over to your room Mr. Jones, we don't want to be late, do we?" Jack smiled cheekily at him, before he crawled out of his bed and headed off to his private bathrooms. Ianto stared at the door Jack had just went through for a few moments, stunned. 

'Don't worry about it? What was he thinking? Now I won't be able to focus all day!' Ianto climbed to his feet, rubbing his lips as he thought with frustration and a little confusion, 'Damn you, Jack bloody Harkness!'

*******************

"You really wore that?"

"What? I thought you liked it. Besides, I don't look as dashing without it."

Ianto rolled his eyes as he straightened his tie. They were waiting patiently in front of the big doors leading to the King's Court. Jack was dressed in his usual military garb and Ianto in one of the suits he had found in his closet. He had almost cried when he felt how nice the fabrics were; they were much softer and smoother than the cheap ones at the other castle. He fussed with his tie a little more.

"Goodness, we're going to see a king! A king from a different Realm might I add," Ianto hissed under his breath as he began to attack his cufflinks with his nervous fingers. Jack chuckled and placed a hand over Ianto's.

"Calm down. King Alistair isn't some crazy big-wig; trust me, I've met plenty, and he definitely isn't on that list," Jack said soothingly, stroking his thumb over his knuckles, before winking and pulling away.

Ianto, at any other point in time, might have been a tad bit flustered at Jack''s open act of affection, but at the moment, he couldn't find it in him to care all that much about Jack and his antics earlier that morning. He had originally thought the whole thing that happened with Jack would affect him the whole time he was in the meeting, but as he came closer to the actual meeting time, his nerves were more focused on the actual king.

Ianto huffed, his hands stilling for a moment. He shook himself slightly. "But you can't blame me; it is the first king I've ever really had a proper, formal conversation with," he said, discounting his encounter with King John in the hallway when he was eight. He shifted his feet and chewed on his lip.

Jack watched the other man fondly. His awkward nervousness was very endearing. "Do you realize how cute you are sometimes, Jones, Ianto Jones?" he asked, a grin in his voice. Ianto glared at him, his cheeks turning a soft shade of pink. He was not cute!

"Jack!..." he hissed, a threat lingering in his tone, before quickly falling silent as the doors in front of the creaked. Ianto snapped to attention, and Jack chuckled, causing the Welshman to shoot a pointed, disapproving look at him out of the corner of his eye. When Jack simply laughed louder, Ianto rolled his eyes and had to fight the desire to bury his face in his hands. He smiled weakly at the servants holding the doors open for them. They didn't react. 

As soon as the doors were all the way opened, the two men made their way into the large room, Ianto subtly casting his gaze around. He couldn't believe he was in  a King's Court! He felt like giggling a little, but suppressed it, reminding himself of what he had just scolded Jack for.

The captain in question had already seen everything this court had to offer and approached the throne with his easy grin and heroic, sweeping gait. He sobered slightly when he caught gazes with the royal advisor. He remembered vividly how his father had to attend royal meetings with the Doctor. The advisor was standing down to the right of the king's giant throne, his chin tilted slightly to the air as he watched them approach.

Jack pulled his eyes away from the advisor and turned them up to the king. He smirked as he took a good look at the aging king. He was one of the older rulers; his beard and hair were already turning a bright white. Jack knew he hadn't been in the best of places the last time he had been to the Dragon Realm, and hoped the man hadn't caught wind of his antics. The small flash of slight disapproval that gleamed in the king's eyes when he looked over Jack squashed that hope quickly. He knew, however, that Alistair would understand why Jack was kicked out of several of the village pubs; he could only hope the man could forgive him.

Ianto, on the other hand, looked a little uneasy the closer and closer they got to the king's throne. If he wasn't intimidated by the size of the room, he was certainly intimidated now. The man in front of him wore a stern grimace, but his eyes were soft. He radiated confidence and silent control. Ianto could see the weight of the world in his eyes, but despite that, the king of the Dragon Realm looked strong, firm, and ready to fix any problems that arose.

The king sat up straighter as the two men approached, his chin tilting upwards. He waited patiently from both men to rise after they bowed respectfully. The room was silent for a minute as the king took in the two men who stood before him. He couldn't help but notice how different Jack was from last time; when he found out the man was coming back to visit again, he was going to chew his arse out for all the trouble he put his people through. Seeing the look in his eyes now, however, made him rethink his decision and he settle for a neutral silence on the matter.

"Jack Harkness... it's been quite some time since you've visited our Realm. I really wished it had been under better circumstances," the king said as he smiled bitterly down at the men. Ianto was only a little surprised on the way the conversation open; King Alistair had no time for small talk, and neither Jack nor Ianto could blame him. 

Jack chuckled as he folded his arms in from of his chest. 

"Yeah, can't say I'm too thrilled about the turn of events myself," the captain said as he shifted his weight to his right for. He blew air out through his mouth in a tired sigh, before asking quickly, "Are we going to go back to help my Realm?" Jack deep down already knew the answer, but he knew it wouldn't hurt to try. Ianto watched the king with a small flutter of hope. King Alistair sighed softly.

"I've sent a rescue fleet to check the rubble for survivors. I'm afraid there isn't much else we can do besides that. We're dealing with something that's bigger than the destruction of one castle and much darker," King Alistair said gravely as he shifted his gaze away from Jack to a stiff Ianto. He watched the young man quietly for a few moments after he spoke. He caught sight of the gold bracelet around his wrist and smiled, slightly amused.

"Which brings us to you, Ianto Jones. Twenty-three as of two days ago, raised in the Crisial Inn for eight years before being taken away to serve at the castle," the king sat back in his throne, his eyes still on the bracelet.

"Oh the Doctor was always a clever man, hiding the much sought after Hero right under their noses," he chuckled lightly, shaking his head with fond exasperation and amusement.

Ianto felt a shiver run through him as the man listed off his life. He was confused and scared; hearing this only furthered those feelings. 

"How do you know all of that?" he asked, pausing before quickly adding, "sire." The king's attitude and body language changed immediately. His admiration was quickly replaced by irritation, and it showed on his face.

"He never got around to telling you, did he?" the king shook his head. "So smart and always so distracted," he sighed with exasperation. Jack chuckled at the King's annoyed expression, understanding where the king was coming from. King Alistair rubbed his forehead with two fingers, before suddenly pulling himself out of his chair.

"I feel like you won't believe me if I tell you by myself, so I suppose I should show you as well. Please, follow me," he said as he began to descend the few stairs on his marble throne to the polished floors. He left the advisor and servants in the room to themselves as he walked around the throne and headed for the door in the back of the Court.

He pushed on steadily for a man of his age and didn't once stumble in his steps. Ianto watched him curiously, Jack striding along beside him. They shared a bemused look as the king pulled out a silver key from around his neck and unlocked the wooden door. He didn't bother to look behind him as he pushed the door open and stepped inside. Ianto followed first, leaving Jack to shut the door behind him.

Ianto nearly smacked ran into the king he walked in. He quickly took a step back and looked around. The room was small and round; no more than ten people could fit inside nicely. The ceiling was low, the brick brushing the top of Ianto's hair when he stood up straight. On the wall, there were symbols drawn; they were lit up by the torches put up in the room, all of them burning. Jack eyed the burning wood curiously. He wondered if they honestly kept it burning all the time; that would be waste a lot of fuel and wood.

"I've been looking at these symbols ever since I got that letter form John," the king explained when he saw Jack look at the torches with confusion and slight disdain. The captain had enough decency to look a little sheepish, but the king was no longer focused on Jack. He ran his wrinkled fingers across the indents in the stone almost reverently, his brows furrowed.

Ianto swept his eyes around the room, feeling another shiver rock his body. It felt like there were eyes on him, and it was making him increasingly uncomfortable with the entire situation. The bracelet on his wrist suddenly vibrated with energy and Ianto rubbed the beads absentmindedly. The King didn't miss his actions.

"What is this place? And what are these symbols?" Jack suddenly asked as he walked slowly in circles around the room. The king looked away from Ianto's bracelet and removed his hands from the wall.

"It is the Prophecy. It's the story of our beginning. It's the tale of our tokens, and the evil that nearly destroyed our lands," the king said quietly, his voice hard and gruff. The archaic language hadn't been studied by common folk in many years, but each generation of royalty had to learn it specifically for the Prophecy. 

The king was pulled from his thoughts as Jack's eyes quickly met his. The man seemed to search his eyes for a moment, disbelief shining in the captain's blue ones. He suddenly shook his head.

"The Prophecy? That's just an old wives tale," he said, his tone skeptical. The king watched Jack, his eyes narrowing slightly. He never was fond of having to explain things that didn't seem possible.

"This is no wives tale, Captain. No, this is very real, and you both are an important part of it," he said, his eyes straying back down to the shining golden bracelet on Ianto's wrist. 

The Welshman was oblivious as his mind raced. This must've been what Suzie was talking about. Jack knew what it was, so perhaps he really was living under a rock in that castle.

"What's the Prophecy?" he asked, his fingers still rubbing the bracelet gently; the tingling had steadily gotten stronger as time had gone by.

Ianto focused on the king, who had opened his mouth to respond, but Jack spoke up before he got the chance.

"Like the Brigadier here said, it's the story of our land. I'm not surprise you haven't heard of it; it's most commonly spoken about among warriors or soldiers," Jack butted in as he lounged against the smooth wall. The king frowned at the man, who in turn flashed his big, charming smiling.

"Come on, Alistair, I'm great at telling stories! And this is one of my favorites," the captain pleaded, his mouth forming a small pout. The king looked at Jack with annoyance, his mouth a tight line. Jack was beginning to think he had push the man too far when the king finally sighed a nodded. Jack grinned even wider and turned to Ianto.

The younger man was embarrassed by Jack's actions, but had to admit he was excited to hear it from Jack's mouth; he was always so good at story telling.

"Well, the story says that there was once this special crown made of gold that was owned by the king of the Gem Realm. It was said to have been made with every single gem of the land, and was so powerful that it could even think for itself. The king who ordered the crown to be made was not a selfish man. He had simply wanted to see what would occur, and was actually a little scared of the outcome.

There was one time, though, that the king used his crown to save the Realms from a drought. People far and wide came to see the alleged crown and to ask for help. The king always delivered if he thought the reasoning was just, and from then on, the king of the Gem Realm was admired and loved by all. 

One day, though, the king of the Forest Realm grew jealous of how well-loved and powerful the king  of the Gem Realm was, and darkness grew in his heart. They say it turned black, and he became a monster. He began to experiment with different animals and create horrifying creatures using all of the the different elements of the Realms. He made an army of monsters to destroy the king and his castle, knowing if he could do so, he could steal the crown and take over all of the Realms.

He was able to gain support for his attack by targeting the power hungry; the ones who didn't support him were used to feed his creatures. His wife helped him hand pick the human soldiers they were going to use. She was just as dark as he; you might say they were a match made in hell," Jack briefly chuckled to himself at his own joke, before quickly continuing as Alistair cleared his throat pointedly.

"The king of the Forest Realm decided to attack the castle with his army of monsters in the dead of night, hoping to catch the Gem Realm off guard. The king of the Gem Realm, however, was much stronger and wiser than the other king with his monsters. He used his crown of gold to trap the man and his wife in a special box that would hold them for one thousand years. He then locked the box in the castle of the Forest Realm and had the monsters moved there as well. The eighth Realm, now known simply as the Dead Forest, was declared unsafe, and no one was allowed to step foot on the soil.

The king of the Gem Realm knew this was partial his fault. He knew if he were to keep the crown as one, others would try to steal it and use it for evil. Using the powers of his crown, the king split it into seven pieces and infused one item from each Realm with its power. He then hid these tokens in their respective Realms. 

One of the tokens he made special, though, for the sentient crown had shown him a vision on the day the powers were split. It showed him the near destruction of the Realms repeat by the hand of the evil king who would escaped from his prison, but also showed him their savior. One Hero from the Realm of Gems would rise and take down the king with the help of an Immortal being. 

He knew each token was sentient, but gave this token the ability to latch onto its owner's closest possession. This way, the token would locate its next owner without any hassle and wouldn't fall into evil hands easily. He knew the token would work its way through the royal blood line and eventually find the Hero. He also created a map of the tokens that would only make itself known to the Hero, knowing that when the time came, the Hero had to find all seven of the tokens and reunite them to defeat the king once and for all.

On his deathbed, the king released his token and map to his eldest son who was the heir to his throne. He revealed the name of the Hero to his son, and ordered him to never utter the name to other ears until it was time to pass it on to the next king or to call on the Hero. The son obeyed, and the king died shortly after. They say from then on, the name, scroll, and token have been passed down for generations, each king waiting for the Hero to step forward and claim his name."

Jack finished in a hushed, conspiratorial tone, looking mischievous and light-hearted. King Alistair, on the other hand, looked grave, and nodded solemnly. Jack looked at him with disbelief, his eyebrows high up on his head.

"Oh come on! That isn't real; it's just a story. You don't... you don't actually believe that, do you?" Jack asked incredulously as he shook his head. "It's just a myth that power-hungry soldiers tell to excite themselves." Ianto had to agree with Jack. Even if the tokens part was true (which he wasn't sure he believed yet despite what he had been told happened to him), the Hero and the evil king items had to be made up. Perhaps those soldiers had made up the story to make it more exciting.

King Alistair could see the skepticism on Ianto's face as well. He knew that was no good; the Hero had to know what his duty was, or else the Prophecy would mean nothing. The king looked at them both, very unamused.

"I won't argue with you Jack, but think about all the things that have happened in the past few days. What do you think happened to Mr. Jones the day you escaped from the castle? What was that golden light? And you, Ianto," the king turned his intense gaze to the Welshman.

"Do you remember the day King John caught you walking towards that blank wall? Can you hear the whispering? Can you feel that token crying for its companion? I know you can, Ianto Jones, it's written on your face," the king said quietly, almost as if he wished it wasn't true.

Jack looked over to see the young man roll his eyes as he knew he would, but was surprised to see instead how white Ianto's face had become.

"How... how do you...," Ianto whispered, his hand tightening visibly on his bracelet as it vibrated under his hand. Jack stared at the pale man, his mouth open. Ianto looked genuinely scared now and that in itself scared Jack. Ianto was the most down to earth man he knew, and if he was believing the story may be true, who knew if it really was or not?

The king was already beginning to relax as he saw actual fear and belief beginning to show on Ianto's face. "King John wrote to me about you. You would've been sent here to me regardless of what  had happened at the castled. That king... the Master... is back, Ianto. John knew it was coming for years. He took you from your family to protect you. He was waiting until you were old enough to be trained. This is it, Ianto Jones, this is your calling," King Alistair said seriously, his eyes dark.

Ianto stared back at the king, his eyes wide. It was impossible. Hearing that little bit from Suzie was nothing compared to something as big as this. It couldn't be him. He was a nobody; he wasn't even strong enough to lift things on his own without that bracelet that used to be his bracelet for strength. This wasn't him. He wasn't the Hero, he was a servant. He looked up as the king turned to face Jack.

"I can only assume the Doctor figured the Immortal being wasn't actually immortal. You, Jack, are nicknamed the Immortal and are close to Ianto. It does make sense to assume that you would be the one to accompany the Hero, seeing that you know so much about each Realm. John really is too clever for his own good; he probably figured that out right in time," the king said quietly, allowing the words to sink in for both of the men.

Now Jack was beginning to believe there may be a sparkle of truth to this bizarre story. Ianto's horrified face and the incident with Ianto and his bracelet were too close to the actual story, and made Jack feel uncomfortable and a little scared. He knew that if there was some any chance in hell that the Prophecy was coming true, the two of them were in more danger than ever before.

Ianto shook his head, now turning and staring at the symbols on the walls. There was no way. Perhaps if he repeated that mantra enough, it would be true. This was all too crazy. He had never asked to be the Hero.

King Alistair could see Ianto was struggling with the truth he had presented and knew this wouldn't do. The king turned the young man around and placed his hands on his shoulders, his face tired and grim. Ianto searched his eyes frantically for some sign this was on big joke, but the king knew he would find only truth. He shook the man slightly.

"This is real, Ianto. It's been your name the Kings have whispered to their heirs as they lay dying. It's you who have heard the whisper of the tokens. And it will be you who saves us all from certain destruction."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This may be the last chapter I post for a while because my computer's been acting up and I can't write on it. Sorry! Thanks for reading!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood and Doctor Who. This is unbeta's, so any and all mistakes are mine.

The walk back to their room was quite and contemplative. The meeting hadn't included a lot more after the punch line; the king seemed to know the two men were in no real state to discuss anything about the Prophecy in depth. King Alistair simply told Ianto he was to report to the training grounds at eight tomorrow morning to begin his training. When Jack learned Captain Hart was to train Ianto, he insisted on also being present for the lessons. The king was hesitant, but knew two captains working on the same person would be faster and more efficient than just one. Ianto was still uneasy; he didn't like the thought of having to fight another person, but knew in this situation it was necessary. The whole idea he had to go through training in the first place was mind boggling, especially considering the state of his natural strength. That was never something that Ianto ever thought he'd have to do.

He rubbed his bracelet, his brows furrowed as he walked. Jack watched him with concern. He, of course, was just as surprised as Ianto, but at least he didn't have to cram years worth of military training into a few months. He couldn't imagine what the man was going through mentally. He had a feeling it would only go down hill from here; Ianto hadn't even completely gotten over the deaths of his family yet.

They reached the rooms all too quickly for Jack's taste. He turned to Ianto, watching as the young man continued to rub the bracelet in thought. He sighed gently and placed a hand on his shoulder, finally catching his attention.

"You should catch up on your rest. Tomorrow's a big day for you. You probably won't get another chance to rest properly like this for a little while, so make the most of it." Jack nodded at him and smiled slightly, before he turned and entered his own room. He wanted to give Ianto a little space to think by himself. Besides, he had a few things to mull over himself; he too was part of the Prophecy, after all.

Ianto watched the other man leave for a moment, before he himself turned and went to his room. Almost immediately, he approached the scroll that was laying on the table next to his bed. He had yet to open it since he had got it, and now he was afraid of what he would find. If what the king said really was the truth, then the map would hold the key to the tokens. To be honest, Ianto didn't want to look; he didn't want it to be true.

Despite the urges to put the scroll down and turn away, Ianto knew he couldn't shirk his responsibilities, if he had any. Taking a deep breath, he slowly unrolled the scroll. His eyes took in the map as his heart sank to his shoes.

It was there. All of the Realms. In each Realm except the Gem Realm, there was a shining dot. In the Dragon Realm, there were two shining dots and an 'x.' One of the dots and the 'x' were overlapping each other; the other shining dot was a good distance away from the 'x' and it's twin. Ianto didn't need a key to know what the symbols meant.

Each dot had to be the tokens, and the 'x'... well, that had to be the Hero. It had to be him. If the Prophecy was true, than he was the only one that could see the map, technically. It really was a good thing too. If anyone else could read it, they would know both the locations of the tokens and the location of the Hero.

Ianto rolled the scroll back up and sat down heavily on his bed. It was real. All of it was real. He ran both of his hands through his hair and huffed out a strained breath. He had been holding onto one last sliver of hope that this might be fake, some elaborate prank, but the map had squashed out that light. Oh gods it really was real.

He lifted his face out of his hands and stared at the wall opposite of him. This was never going to work. His mind was whirling in his head at a thousand miles per second and he was never going to get any rest if he was left to brood. He rubbed his face tiredly, before rising to his feet. He sincerely hoped Jack didn't mind him busting into his room not even fifteen minutes after he had told him to rest.

He crossed the hallway to Jack's door and paused, before knocking three times and standing back. It was only a few moments before Jack answer the door, a small smirk on his face.

"This is really staring to become a habit, Mr. Jones," he said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Two times in as many days. You're going to give me the wrong impression." Ianto rolled his eyes at him.

"Shove off. I just can't get my mind to settle. It's barely gone ten and I need a distraction," Ianto scoffed, before immediately regretting his choice of words as Jack's face lit up with  a leer.

"You've definitely come to the right place, then," the captain said confidently, stepping back and letting Ianto into the room. The other man rolled his eyes and shoved him with his shoulder as he stepped inside, throwing a half-hearted glare at the other man. Jack just laughed and shut the door.

"So, how exactly do you want me to distract you. I can think of a few ideas," Jack said nonchalantly as he approached Ianto, who had seated himself on his bed. The absolutely filthy look on his face made Ianto blush and faint pink and shake his head.

"You're awful," he said, a small smile creeping onto his face. He could already feel his headache and worries fading away. That seemed to happen often around Jack. The other man looked affronted.

"You're the one that asked for a distraction! How else did you think I was going to react?"

"Tell me a story, then." Jack was very good at telling stories, and Ianto knew that would definitely take his mind off of what was happening to his world. Plus, it would be nice to see Jack's face light up like it used to whenever he told his stories to Ianto.

Jack paused and the look on his face changed to confusion.

"A story? You want me to tell you a story?" the other man asked with disbelief. He hadn't told Ianto any stories since... since his father died. He wondered if Ianto really had missed his tales. Ianto flushed a little with embarrassment before he lifted his chin and nodded.

"Yeah, I do. I haven't heard a good one in a while. And you were rather good at telling them," Ianto said, smiling slightly. He chuckled as Jack physically puffed his chest out a little.

"I am, aren't I? Well Yan, I can't promise it won't be one you haven't heard before, but I'll see what I can do," Jack preened, causing Ianto to laugh louder.

"I've really inflated you're ego now, haven't I. Bugger. You probably won't be able to fit that fat head of yours through the doorway anymore."

Jack glared at him. "Do you want to here one or not?" Ianto held his hands up in surrender and settled back into the pillows on Jack's bed. Jack thought for a brief moment how much he liked that image, before he shook his head and grinned. "That's what I thought."

He walked around to the other side and flopped down onto the bed, grinning as Ianto turned onto his side and rested his head on his hand.

'It really is just like when we were kids," Jack thought, smiling at the ceiling wistfully. 'Back before my father died and all hell broke loose.' He turned his eyes to his friend, who was watching him expectantly. Ianto smiled at him fondly and Jack was certain his heart skipped a beat, as cheesy as that sounds. 'And despite all that, we're still here together. That must count for something, yeah?' He smiled back at Ianto and took a deep breath.

"Have I ever told you about the time I...."

*****************

"Again!"

Ianto contemplated just laying on the ground and refusing to get up. Perhaps if he pretended he had gotten knocked out, they would back off. Surely they would back off...

"Get up, Eye Candy. I know you're still conscious; I can see you flexing your right hand."

Or not.

Ianto shut his eyes, his teeth gritted as he rubbed some of the dirt off of the side of his face with one of his hands. This training was not going well at all. He had been late for the training because of Jack and his damn warmth and luring bed. He hadn't slept that hard in a while.

Needless to say, Captain Hart was both amused and displeased at their tardiness. Judging by the leer on his face, he definitely thought they had been up to something, and Ianto didn't really know how he felt about that. Embarrassed, yes, but not entirely displeased John Hart thought they were shagging. Ianto had wondered briefly where that possessive streak had come from. 

Then the actual training started, and that was a whole new kind of humiliation. Not only had he never fought with anyone in his life, but Jack had insisted he learned how to fight without the token on his wrist. He felt mildly betrayed by that, even thought Jack had good, solid reason as to why that was a good idea. Despite the logic, however, he was still extremely displeased; he couldn't even pick up a twenty pound bag of sugar, how did Jack think he was going to hold back a trained soldier?

Ianto pushed himself to his feet, his arms trembling. Jack watched the man struggle to right himself. He knew Ianto wouldn't appreciate any sympathy or pity about his weakness, so he ordered John to treat him like nay other trainee. He was now wondering if that was the right move.

He wanted to look away when Ianto had finally stood, fuming and swaying on his feet. Perhaps they were being too hard on him. He honestly looked like he was going to collapse. John, however, was as merciless as usual, and treated Ianto the same as any Dragon Realm warrior was treated.

"Come on, Eye Candy! Surely you're more than a pretty face. Just one little punch; you can at least do that, can't you?" John taunted, standing in a seemingly relaxed position a few feet away from the beaten Welshman. Jack saw Ianto's nostrils flare slightly and Jack couldn't help but admire him for his fiery attitude; Jack always knew he was a stubborn bugger, but his was something else entirely.

Suddenly, Ianto leapt for the cocky captain, but he was much too slow. The throw downs into the dirt paired with the exertion of trying to block John all day had made him sluggish, so it was no surprise to anyone present when Ianto was slammed back to the ground. He grunted a little, shaking his head.

 Jack watched John look down at Ianto for a moment before he turned and looked up at the sun that was beginning to set. He sighed tiredly and came around to squat in front of the beaten man.

"We have a lot to work on here. You're slow, weak, and predictable, and to be perfectly honest, I don't think I can train you in four months," John said as he pat Ianto's head in a patronizing way. He suddenly gripped Ianto's hair and tilted his head back. He grinned as the other man grimaced. "But lucky for you, I'd do anything to lay my hands on you again. Better luck tomorrow, I guess."

He turned to Jack, who was watching the scene with a stony expression. He easily brushed it off on fatigue. "Sorry, I'm leaving you to clean up this mess today on your own, Harkness. After you're done cleaning him up and tucking him into bed, you know where to find me." He winked at him, before turning and strutting confidently away from the training field.

Jack rolled his eyes at John's retreating back before turning to face Ianto, who had yet to move from his place on the ground. Jack had been a very different man when he had had that fling with John and he honestly would be content to never see the man's face again. This, however, had been paired up against his desire to never allow John anywhere near Ianto alone, and after weighing the pros and cons, he knew he couldn't let the cunning bastard near his Ianto, especially when he didn't have his bracelet.

He walked over and sat down in the dirt next to the prone man. He heard Ianto sigh, before turning on his back with a pained groan. Jack looked over at him and smiled gently.

"You did good today," he reassured him, gently patting his shoulder. Ianto arched an eyebrow at him, a skeptical look on his face.

"That was good? Gods help the Realms; we're doomed," he said dryly. Jack chuckled and shook his head.

"For someone whose as weak as you whose also never had an ounce of training, yeah, it was pretty good. You didn't complain or cry, not once. That's a lot better than some of the soldiers I've trained, and I'm no where near has hard as John," Jack said, grinning as Ianto flung an arm over his eyes and huffed a sigh.

"I really wish I could wear my bracelet though. At least then the balance wouldn't be so off," the other man said, his hand ghosting absentmindedly over the spot his bracelet would normally be. Jack grimaced.

"It's only a precaution. Someone could steal it from you just so that they'll have the upper hand. Plus, it is a token, it will probably be sought after, and if someone takes it, you have to be prepared to fight without it," Jack reminded him. Ianto groaned in response.

"I know, I know, I just don't like it, is all," the Welshman grumbled. Jack chuckled fondly.

"I take it back about the complaining."

Ianto glared at Jack as he rose to his feet. Jack grinned in response, holding his hand out to Ianto.

"Well, come on then; let's get you in a bath and then into bed. You're going to have to be up bright and early tomorrow for the next round," he said. Ianto pulled himself up with a groan, his body aching in places he didn't think it could.

"I forgot, this is an everyday sort of thing," Ianto sighed, cursing slightly under his breath. Jack laughed.

"It'll get easier with time, trust me," Jack said soothingly, placing a steadying hand on Ianto's lower back as they made their way back to the castle.

They were half-way there when Ianto finally spoke up. "So, um, are you going to go see John tonight?" he tried very hard to come off as uninterested, but he couldn't help but feel some irritation and unease had slipped into his voice. Which, he might point out, was unfair, since he was doing the rejecting in the first place. Again, he wondered where the possessive streak had come from.

Jack grinned to himself and tried not to chuckle at his friend's jealousy. He really was a daft sod. "Nah, that burnt out a long time ago. Great shag, sure, but his sadistic streak was a rather large turn off," Jack said, almost laughing out loud when Ianto's shoulders relaxed slightly.

"Oh. Okay," he said, his tone obviously relieved. He allowed the subject to drop, hoping he didn't make a complete fool of himself.

The rest of the walk was quite and comfortable, mostly because Ianto was too tired to try and talk about anything else. He just wanted to take a bath and hop into bed. He really hoped Jack was right about it getting easier becausse he didn't know what he'd do if every training session ended with him as sore as he was right then.

******************

King John looked up through carefully shielded eyes as the door to his cell swung open. The Master stood in the doorway, his face lit up with glee. It was very different from the last time John had seen him. John realized he preferred the Master's angry expression over his elated one.

They had taken Rose away when they discovered he wouldn't talk no matter how much they tortured his beautiful wife. John didn't know if she was dead or alive, and to be honest with himself, he wasn't sure which was worse. No, that grin meant he had something new, something better, something that would surely make him talk. 

The Master glided inside, shutting the door with his foot behind him. "Oh, John! You will not believe this great, splendid, magnificent news!" he cried happily, throwing his arms up into the air. The king didn't react, but for once, that didn't deter the king of the Eighth Realm.

"My other creatures just did a sweep of your castle and they found several survivors! Isn't that just brilliant news?" he asked, squatting down to peer into John's eyes. The king didn't allow his hope to grow an inch; if the Master was excited, it couldn't mean a good thing. The Master was once again unaffected by the king's unresponsive nature.

"They will work perfectly for these new creatures I'm making in addition to the others. Oh so much building, but it will pay off, especially since I'll have a steady stream of your people to help with my machines. That's right; without an army to protect the rest of your Realm, I'll soon have all of your people staying at my castle! Oh it'll be so nice having so many guests!" he cried with delight, taking the king's face between his hands and squeezing so his lips puckered out. "Like a slumber party between our Realms. Only with more blood and terror." He laughed and patted John's cheeks with one of his hands.

"How does it feel, knowing your people are going to die because you wont give up where the Hero is. Such a shame your Realm has to suffer because of your oh so noble heart." He suddenly gripped the king's chin and tightly and tilted his face up. Fiery eyes bore into unresponsive ones. "Hopefully all of the sound they'll make as they are cut into pieces will motivate you to cooperate. But then again, tearing them apart limb by limb is quite satisfying as well. Ah, well, it's your choice. I'm happy either way."

He suddenly dropped his chin and stood, grinning wildly. "Oh, would you look at the time! I've got places to go, people to torture! Lucy will also need a tad bit of help tidying up for our guests; it's been so filthy as of late. Fermented blood can really dampen the spirits after a while. Until next time, Doctor!"

The door slammed shut with a resounding bang. The king hung his head with shame.

****************

Amy lunged at the bars as the doors were shut. "Oi! You! Come back! Don't think you can get away with this!" she shouted, rattling the bars wildly. After a few minutes, she sighed with defeat and backed away, turning to face the others.

She squatted down beside Owen. "How is she?" she asked quietly as the servant continued to dab the bleeding cut on Toshiko's head.

"She should be alright, all things considering. There isn't much I could do for her anyways, but she's strong. She'll pull through... she has to pull through," Owen said quietly, for once subdued by the situation. Amy sighed softly, gently touching the side of Tosh's face.

"Do you think Ianto's alright?" Amy asked after a moment, and the man snorted, a strained grin on his face.

"Oh yeah. He's a stubborn git. Teaboy will be alright without us, that I'm sure of," Owen said, resting his head back on one of the prison walls and shutting his eyes. Amy watched him for a second, before turning her gaze back to Tosh and sighing.

"I hope you're right about that. Gods, I really hope you're right."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can probably tell, my computer is back up and running! Hopefully I'll be able to get back into the swing of things and start uploading once a week as promised. I'm actually not too fond of my work on this chapter, so I'd like to hear what you thought of it. Thanks for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is completely AU. I own nothing from Torchwood or Doctor Who. This is unbeta'd, so any and all mistakes are mine.

The training never got any better.

In fact, Captain Hart gave up on teaching him hand-to-hand combat and focused instead on building up his strength; Jack was given the job of training him in hand-to-hand combat. Which would’ve been nice if Jack didn’t cheat.

Yes, cheating. The way he abandoned his blue shirt when the sun reached its highest point in the sky. Or maybe the way  he let his touches linger on Ianto’s skin after showing him a new way to defend himself. A personal sadistic favorite of Jack’s was the ‘let me pretend I’m trying to drink this water but make sure half of it spills out of my mouth and runs down my face’ move, which was underhanded and by far the most distracting.

Of course, he never let Jack know his subtle distractions were working, even though he knew Jack was aware by the small smirk that tilted the side of his mouth up in an amused way each time he broke past Ianto’s defenses. Ianto didn’t know what he found more mortifying: that Jack knew exactly what he was doing to him, or that he wouldn’t speak up about it. Like he was waiting for Ianto to pounce on him in the middle of the night instead of doing the pouncing, as he usually would.

A consistent cycle of humiliation of weakness. Sexual harassment one day, sexual harassment _and_ verbal berating the next. John Hart was still a slave driver. He refused to let any one of his trainees leave without being the absolute best, and Ianto was sure he wasn’t about the be the exception. One whole month of training, and Ianto barely moved in his progress. It was both frustrating and irritating, and he was afraid this was not what he was supposed to be. His perpetual weakness was a large factor in his lack of progress. The exercises with John didn’t seemed to do nothing, and as a result, he could never really take Jack down. He could block, sure, but he wouldn’t be able to do any fighting if his bracelet was taken away.

It was hopeless, and it seemed everyone was starting to accept that. Everyone except Jack. He was sure Ianto would get over this bump and on the way to being the Hero in no time. Ianto didn’t believe him; he knew someone had made a mistake somewhere along the lines. He just hoped that mistake didn’t cost everyone’s lives.

He couldn’t help thinking this as he set up for another sparing match against Jack, who looked quite chipper today. Ianto internally groaned; he knew he was up for one irritating training day.

Sometimes, he really, really hated knowing everything.

It seemed today Jack was pulling out all of the stops, and it was driving Ianto up the wall in a very un-sexy, annoying way. He wanted to knock Jack on his arse just once. Just to see the look of surprise as his back hit the ground like Ianto’s did every day, every hour, on the hour.

“Come on Ianto, one more try, then we’ll take a break.”

Oh, how many times has he heard that per day? How many times did he pull himself to his feet and wearily get into position, only to be knocked down and pushed back by the cocky captain in front of him? Too many to count, but like he does every time he trains with Jack, he rises, and gets into position, hoping this will be the time he knocks Jack down.

Jack seems happy with his resilience, though. Ianto was inclined to tell him he only rose because that was the only thing keeping his dignity in tact at the moment. If he ever just laid down and took it that would be the end of him. Even now, as Ianto faces off with him, his brow set like this time would make a difference when they both know it won’t, he grins. A very proud grin. Jack sets him up in his fighting stance and waits until Ianto’s ready before he begins to prowl around the young man.

Ianto knew this little dance well. Jack would wind him up just circling, until he pounced suddenly and floored Ianto with a quick simple foot behind his ankle and a shove to his chest. This was used to teach him how to relax in a battle if he were to take a defensive approach, and judging by his results on the offensive side, he knew he would never try and attack, just deflect.

Ianto learned how to relax eventually, and his muscles were loose now even though his back was still aching from his last visit to the ground. Jack was grinning like a shark as he continued to circle him, and Ianto tried to will down the little spark of lighting that shot up his spine at the dangerous dark look in Jack’s eyes. Then it happened.

Ianto thinks maybe he had reached his limit. Or maybe he was actually distressed for once and his brain had unconsciously cried out for help, because when Jack rushed him, something snapped.

There was a flash of white come from Jack’s pocket, just a small flash that Jack barely registered, but Ianto saw. It was accompanied by a tingling sensation on his wrist and a sudden surge of adrenaline that made this seem to slow for him. Instead of defending himself by pushing Jack away using his forearms, he grabbed the arm coming up to shove against his chest and countered the move. Taken by surprised, this time Ianto was able to hook his foot around Jack’s ankle and send the other man sprawling backward into the dirt with a sharp thud.

Yes, the shock in Jack’s eyes was definitely worth it.

Ianto stared at the floored Jack, who stared back, mouth gaping. Then, suddenly, the captain leapt to his feet and grabbed Ianto’s wrist, his face confused. Ianto looked to see what had put that look on Jack’s face and gasped slightly. There was a red mark around his wrist that looked very similar to the bracelet Jack had in his pocket. Jack patted down his trousers, confirming that yes, he still had it in his possession.

They looked at each other, stunned.

Then Jack was grinning and he laughed, loud and loose.

“You know what this means right?” he asked, still holding onto Ianto’s wrist almost reverently. Ianto nodded numbly; it meant he could fight.

While yes, it was nice that he now had his strength back, it was still foreign, and definitely something they had to look into. The king was baffled, but Suzie shed a little light on the subject.

“It’s protecting you. Part of its defense mechanism. You help protect it and in return it protects you. Congrats; it likes you,” she had said with a bored expression as she tended to her fiery scarlet dragon. She honestly didn’t seem very surprised; Jack was sure she knew exactly what was going to happen to Ianto.

Regardless, it was a wonderful surprise. The only minor downfall was John Hart’s attitude; instead of annoyed, he was lecherous. Much more so than before.

It didn’t help that he’d be the one to train him in sword fighting.

****************

Ianto woke up to a soft, lingering touch drifting down his arm towards his hands. For once, he felt well rested and content, his eyes shut simply to enjoy the laziness of the moment. He couldn’t remember the last time he had woken up when he wanted to.

He knew the soft probing fingers were only Jack; he could smell his overwhelming pheromones as he shifted his body on the bed. Now he could feel the warmth of another body pressing up against his side and legs and felt relaxed under the gentle pressure.

Until he remembered his training.

His eyes shot open wide and he quickly rolled away from a startled Jack to stare at the clock. He gasped. He turned back to Jack, not questioning his presence even though he knew he should. He trusted Jack not to pull anything, even if sneaking into his room was strange, even for Jack. Ianto contemplated locking his doors from here on out. One look at Jack’s bed ruffled hair and knew he wouldn’t.

“It is almost one! Why didn’t you wake me up?” Ianto ask, preparing to leap off of his bed. Jack laughed and twisted his body, catching Ianto’s shoulder before he could scramble out of his warm bed.

“Relax, I asked John to give you the day off,” Jack said breezily, pulling back as Ianto settled minutely. He arched an eyebrow in disbelief.

“And he agreed to that?” Ianto asked skeptically. Jack shrugged.

“You’ve been working really hard lately, and now that you’re bracelet’s protecting you, you’ve been improving,” Jack said. “You deserve a break.” He smiled gently at Ianto, before he rose to his feet.

“Now then. You go in there and change out of those jammies and into something more comfortable for traveling; we’re going out,” Jack declared, his thousand-megawatt smile bright on his face. Ianto stared at him.

“I’ve just found out I have a day off and you want to go out?” Ianto asked, a single eyebrow arching towards his hair line. Jack’s grin didn’t falter.

“That’s precisely the reason we’re going out! You won’t have a break like this again for a little while, and you should make the most of it. Sleeping is not acceptable,” Jack was only half joking as the words came out of his mouth. He knew all of Ianto’s free time was going to be put into sleep as the training got harder and harder. “Plus, you still owe me that date.” He winked.

Jack was pleased to see Ianto flush and roll his eyes; he still had his good humor about him. He grinned wider at the young Welshman.

Ianto watched Jack for a moment, before he smiled weakly. “I suppose you’re right. I think getting away from this for a little would do us both some good.” He rolled out of bed with a tired groan. He drifted around his room picking out clothes, hyper aware of Jack’s eyes on his back. He finally made his way to the restroom, calling over his shoulder, “I’ll be out in a second, promise.”

Jack sighed as the door shut with a click behind the Welshman. He shook his head and leaned back against the headboard, his mind reeling. Two more months of training, then they were supposed to head off into the unknown in search of the rest of the tokens. They still had so much to teach him, and he was afraid there wouldn’t be enough time. He knew, however, he couldn’t be a pessimist. Ianto was a lot stronger now, and for all he knew, his training could continue improving in leaps as big as the ones he has made in the past week or so.

Jack immediately brightened back up as Ianto stepped through the doors once again, this time dressed in loose fitting brown trousers and an equally loose red shirt. He folded a coat he had found in the closet over his arm and smiled at his friend.

“So, ready to show me around?” Ianto asked, shoving the slight tingle of nerves to the back of his mind. Jack was simply his friend. Yes, they were playing a dangerous game of attractions, but Ianto’s held out this far; he should be fine. Jack grinned and stuck out his elbow.

“Oh, I’ve been training for this moment since I knew seeing the Realms was your dream,” he teased, winking at the other man. Ianto flushed a little before he rolled his eyes and slid his arm into the crook of Jack’s.

“Whatever. Get on with the grand tour,” Ianto snorted, his light grin taking the bite out of his words. He was excited and definitely couldn’t hide it. Jack was in turn effected by his good mood and felt a small weight lift off his shoulders as well.

“With, pleasure, Mr. Jones.”

***************

Ianto was glad he had brought a coat along with him; it was cooler than he thought it was going to be to be completely honest with himself. As he had shimmied into the coat, Jack had explained that the Dragon Realm was set at a higher altitude because most species of dragon preferred the cooler, thinner air. The chilled air didn’t bother him as much as they started off into town.

He wanted to absorb every ounce of the busy, crowded street as he could. It wasn’t much different from his own Realm, but there were a few things that stuck out as different to him. Some of the carriages were pulled by small to medium sized dragons, while others by horses. That in itself was surprising to Ianto, and he had to resist the urge to ask Jack if they could ask to touch one of the dragons. He knew that would be stupid and unheard of in this Realm, but he hadn’t really gotten to focus much on Suzie’s dragon when they were on the run. He really wanted to see one up close without fearing for his life.

The shops and brands were also foreign to Ianto, and he often made Jack stop so he could look inside the shop windows. Instead of gem vendors there were ones for dragon egg pouches and expensive talons and scales that were taken from the deceased dragons and made into jewelry. That made Ianto a little uneasy, but he knew it helped with both the cleanup and the Realm’s economy, so how could he really judge?

The people were different too. Ianto didn’t see any men or women or children who were hunched over from working in the mines, and there wasn’t a fine layer of mining dust layering everyone’s clothes. Instead, most men bore nasty scares on their arms and faces. The women had hard faces, and the children were solemn.

‘Soldiers… they’re all soldiers, even when they aren’t in the army,’ Ianto thought as they passed a man with an impressive slash mark through his left cheek.

Jack suddenly started tugging on his arm, pulling him out of the flow of people on the sidewalks. Ianto looked at him curiously. Jack simply grinned in response.

“Well, we haven’t had anything to eat yet today, and when I came here last time, the food was excellent. You up for trying something new?” he asked, jerking his head to the door to the restaurant. Ianto looked around Jack to see inside the restaurant as the door swung open and he felt his stomach rumble at the sweet and spicy smells wafting out through the kitchen. He hoped Jack hadn’t noticed, but judging by the humored twinkle in his eyes, the man had caught on.

Ianto nodded and Jack beamed, taking him by the wrist and turning to the restaurant doors. It was only when they were waiting to be seated that Ianto remembered his empty pockets. He tugged one of the sleeves of Jack’s greatcoat.

“Jack, I don’t have any money,” Ianto murmured quietly, his eyes taking in the posh look of the place. He had a feeling he wouldn’t have been able to afford it even if he did have his savings on him. Jack looked back at Ianto with an amused smile on his face.

“Don’t worry about it; I’ll pay for you,” the man stage-whispered back, a grin curling the corner of his mouth up. Ianto stared at him, about to retort, when a waitress came to seat them.

Ianto was a little wary of the setting of their little table. It was very nice and cozy, but he definitely got an intimate vibe from the place. He was extremely thankful Jack didn’t try and pull his seat out for him or anything like that. Jack looked up and caught his gaze for a moment. His blue eyes were smiling and friendly, as they usually were, but the affection was startling. He suddenly felt like running. Perhaps Jack wasn’t joking about that date part…. Was he himself even kidding around? Perhaps this stupid seduction Jack was pulling on him was genuine and not just for less-than-honest means. It was that thought alone that allowed Ianto to take a seat across from Jack.

To Ianto’s unending surprise, the entire atmosphere wasn’t uncomfortable at all. Jack was still loud, brash, and crude, still a messy eater, and still an outrageous flirt. And it was in the middle of watching Jack go off on an anecdote involving a runaway carriage and three irate (hot) men that Ianto realized that it was still just Jack. Despite the growing sexual tension any half-way intelligent person could see, Jack would forever be one of his best friends.

Ianto was unsure whether the revelation or the alcohol that was loosening his demeanor, but regardless of the reason, he was much less tense about being in this situation with Jack. This went to a point where he laughed freely at some stupid comment made about ‘uptight patrons’ after receiving a complaint from one of the waiters about his behavior. Ianto believed Jack was more surprised about it than he was.

That, of course, led to a speedy departure; Jack rather liked the place and didn’t want to be suspended from there as well. He was extremely pleased to note that Ianto now had a pleasant glow radiating from his demeanor, very different from the tired slouch as of late. Jack liked to think it was his doing that lead to the Welshman’s tiny smile that had yet to leave his face.

Jack looked over at the content Welshman with a small grin. “So, was this everything you thought it would turn out to be?” he asked, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his great coat. He warmed slightly as Ianto looked over and grinned.

“Oh that and more! I never really thought I’d get to experience anything like that. It was incredible, Jack, thank you,” he said earnestly, the pure, childlike excitement in his voice making Jack’s stomach clench almost uncomfortably. What was he, sixteen? He chuckled softly under his breath.

“Yeah, well I’m glad you enjoyed yourself,” he said, his teeth flashing as he grinned. He realized they were fast approaching their rooms and realized with a small jolt he didn’t want this day to end. For a little while, it was like how they were before, with no lingering end-of-the-world responsibilities or dead families. From the small frown on Ianto’s face as they stopped outside their rooms, he was thinking along the same lines.

Jack turned to face Ianto, his flashy thousand megawatt grin shifting into something more genuine and very much unlike Jack. That sort of affectionate gaze caused Ianto to look away, a small flush creeping up his neck. Jack grinned at that, and resisted the urge to make Ianto face him again so he could judge what exactly he was thinking.

“Thank you for taking me out today, Jack, I really appreciate it,” Ianto repeated, unsure of what to say at the moment, especially when Jack was so close. He felt a puff of warm breath hit his cheek as Jack chuckled.

“Yeah, well, I’ll have to take you out again then, one for every Realm we go to. I’m gonna show you the world, Yan, I promise,” Jack said quietly, sounding so sincere Ianto dared a glance back towards his captain. He was immediately struck by the depths of Jack’s blue eyes and realized that Jack was suddenly so close that he could count his eyelashes if he so pleased.

Ianto opened his mouth to reply, but found that nothing would come out. He licked his lips nervously and felt a spike of heat shoot down his spine as Jack followed the movement with his eyes. His eyes fluttered shut as Jack leaned forward slightly.

There was a soft brush of lips, not really kiss, more like the peck Jack had shared with him in his room all those weeks ago. Then a harder, more persistent press, and Ianto knew that Jack was afraid he’d run or shove him away or scream because he knew Jack as no blushing virgin, and was trying to ease his way into this. Ianto opened his eyes when Jack pulled back, his heart thudding from just those simple, chaste kisses.

They stared at each other for two heartbeats, before Ianto slid his hand up to cup Jack’s neck and pull him into a proper kiss. For a moment, Jack froze in surprise, but he was anything if not quick on the uptake. His hands quickly cupped the sides of Ianto’s face and he snogged him or all he was worth.

Jack’s sudden hungry attack on his lips made Ianto gasp, allowing the other man’s tongue to slip past his lips and eagerly explore his mouth. Jack’s assault on his lips made his knees weak, and he suddenly wondered why he didn’t try this before. He could taste the desert they had shared on his lips mixed with something distinctly Jack and his grip on Jack tightened, a small noise slipping from his throat.

Jack had been yearning to kiss Ianto like this since he was fourteen. He had wanted to run his tongue along the roof of his mouth and pull delicious noises from his throat much like he was doing now. Kissing Ianto was everything and more. It was hot and passionate and made his belly twist with desire, but it also felt sweet, like he was coming home. He never wanted to stop.

The need for air, however, was becoming an issue. The both pulled back, Ianto’s back now firmly plastered against the corridor wall. Jack rested his forehead against Ianto’s eyes roaming over his flushed face as he collected his bearings with his eyes closed tight. He looked thoroughly debauched and Jack loved it. He grinned.

“Wow,” he said, smirking as Ianto opened his eyes and immediately stared at Jack’s swollen, well-kissed lips. He flushed a little darker, but smiled shyly. He cleared his through before he tried to speak.

“Yeah, wow,” Ianto said, his eyes half-lidded as he looked up at Jack. The captain swallowed hard, the Welshman’s eyes following the movement of his throat. Jack stepped back slightly, allowing the other man to breath. They stared at each other for a moment, before they both chuckled slightly.

“You’ve been holding out on me Mr. Jones. I can see why you’ve been playing hard to get,” Jack said, putting his hands on his hips. Ianto attempted to straighten himself and look more dignified and put together then the really was. He was swept away by how much Jack’s kiss had affected him.

“I have not been playing hard to get,” the Welshman huffed, glaring slightly at Jack. He simply grinned in response.

“Of course not,” Jack teased, a happy smile on his face. That smile nearly melted Ianto, and he suddenly grew afraid. There was no denying it now. He was definitely developing feelings for his captain. Something must have shown on his face, for suddenly Jack frowned.

“Is there something wrong, Yan?” he asked, taking a small step back into Ianto’s personal pace. The Welshman stiffened and turned away.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” he said suddenly, feeling absolutely awful as Jack suddenly looked hurt. He tried to make amends.

“It’s just that we have this whole thing we have to deal with what with the tokens and all of that other Prophecy rubbish and I don’t have the time to be distracted by something like this,” Ianto said, shoving the part of his brain that whispered ‘coward’ to the back of his mind. “Maybe when this is all over, but not now,” he said quietly, refusing to meet Jack’s gaze.

The silence stretched between them for a long moment, before Jack sighed softly. “I wish you had told me that before you kissed me,” Jack said, just a small twinge of bitterness leaking into his voice. Ianto flinched and met Jack’s gaze, hating the slightly wounded look there. Ianto reached a hand out as if to touch him, before he pulled his hand back.

“I know… it’s not forever, I promise. Just… just wait until this is all over, please,” Ianto begged quietly, and when Jack sighed again he knew he had won him over.

“Fine, whatever. You’re very lucky I like you, Yan,” he said moodily, but smiled weakly at Ianto all the same. He smiled when the Welshman smiled back shyly and sighed in relief.

“Thank you, Jack, for everything.”

And as Jack watched Ianto disappear into his room, his smile back in place, Jack prayed they both lived to see the end of this journey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	13. Author's Note

Hello there! This is not an actual chapter, sorry!

I know it's been a while, and I know I sort of randomly dropped off the grid. Not sure if anyone's still interested, but I promise this fic is not abandoned! I actually started this story on a whim, and was blown away with the positive response. I honestly wasn't expecting anything like this, especially for my first try at fanfiction. 

Because of that, I decided to take a break to actually plan out the story. I really would hate for this fic to fall apart or have a ton of holes in it. At this point, I'm not sure if I want to completely rewrite this story or just continue on where I left off. Hopefully, this situation will be remedied quickly so I may get back to posting! 

Thanks!  
-SK


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